Where do your loyalties lie when the world falls apart?
What They Say:
The Kapital finally gets a reliable lead on The Massive and moves to follow . . . only to stumble into a regional war zone! Callum must deal with a mutiny when members of his crew force him to divert so they can join their home country in its war.
Creators:
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Gary Erskine
Colorist: Jordie Bellaire
Cover Artist: J.P. Leon
The Review:
The world is unraveling at the seams. The Crash, a mysterious environmental breakdown occurring across the globe, has devastated political, military, and economic powers. Lines are drawn and redrawn as countries, mega corporations, and private military companies take advantage of the situation to make power plays for land, people, and resources. Floating outside of this is the Kapital, the flagship of the environmental action group, The Ninth Wave. Under Callum Israel (ex-PMC sniper turned pacifist), the Ninth Wave functions as it had before the globe went to hell. Only now it has an added charter: find its missing sister ship the Massive.
The Ninth Wave is composed entirely of volunteers. People from “twenty-two separate nationalities” representing “ten ethnic groups” that came together either because they believe in his cause, or simply believe in Cal. But that was in the days when things more or less made sense—before the Crash. With the world turned upside down and families and countries becoming embroiled in bloodier and bloodier conflicts, tensions flare and loyalties fray as crew members reconsider their allegiances.
It’s rare to find a title that’s this consistently good, but so far Wood has managed to turn in ten excellent, intelligent, gripping issues. Honestly, this is worth reading alone just for the sophisticated way it portrays a catastrophic global breakdown. The political savvy displayed here is excellent and makes for perhaps the best apocalypse I have ever seen. However, this title also features powerful, fully-realized characters, and intelligent, engaging drama all told with strong art and a sophisticated color palette. This sophistication is a necessity given that the issue (as was the case with the previous nine) tells a multipart narrative. There is the “A” story with Cal, the “B” story with his crew, and the “C” story with what’s going on in the rest of the world. The story switches seamlessly between them and artists should really take note of how they do this.
Issue ten is billed as a perfect jumping-on point for new readers. It’s the first of three standalone stories, and as a gateway issue (to use an odious phrase) it’s very good. It encapsulates everything that makes this such an amazing title, and it effectively introduces the world and its characters without feeling like a recap. It moves the story along in a way that should satisfy its core readers, but manages to be accessible for the new. Considering that one of the largest issues facing comics today is the ability to attract new readers, this is no mean feat.
In Summary:
The Massive is absolutely one of the best titles on the rack right now, and it’s well worth reading. It’s an ambitious, intelligent, and excellently executed geo-political apocalyptic drama. The setting is complex and sophisticated, as are the characters, and the drama—while set against a global stage—is personal and real. Highly recommended.
Grade: A+
