Riding in an ark of nightmares hungry to survive
Creative Staff:
Story: Cullen Bunn
Art: Juan Doe
Letterer: Ryane Hill
What They Say:
The wickedness of mankind has moved the Creator to destroy the world by way of the flood. Noah has been tasked with building an ark to save his family and the animals of the world. But this is not Noah’s story. For darker powers have commanded the sorcerer Shrae to build his own ark and save the unnatural creatures of the world—such as the vampires, the dragons, the naga, and the manticore. But what will happen on a vessel crawling with monsters, where insidious intrigue and horrific violence are the rule of law?
From writer Cullen Bunn (X-Men Blue, Deadpool, Venom) and artist Juan Doe (AMERICAN MONSTER, WORLD READER) comes a sinister tale of biblical proportions that HAD to be told at AfterShock Comics.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Modern comics often reflect some specific element of religious myth. For example, a nearly mute character in a recent graphic novel assumed a crucifixion pose as he tried to communicate he was being used as a scapegoat by a serial killer. Some stories may be built using the structure of a religious narrative as a shortcut to explain the nuances of the story’s morals. Dark Ark develops its universe solidly within the context of a story from religions currently being practiced, using beasts from classical myth.
The dark ark of the title refers to a second ark built during the great flood to house a sorcerer and unnatural beasts. The only humans on the Ark are a sorcerer Shrae, his family, and a group of humans destined to be sacrificed. Fans of mythology and fantasy will find the unnatural beasts familiar as they range from a Lamia to unicorns. Shrae has been charged with the dark ark by his demon lord due to his inequities.
The primary theme from this first issue seems to be a conflict between purity and corruption. Noah’s ark holds the pure humans, but the unnatural beast smells purity on Shrae’s daughter, Khalee. While the story does not develop this concept, we see Khalee in an ethical catch-22. To do what she feels best will lead to the destruction of everyone on the ark. Even the beasts have to control each other so as not to risk their mutual destruction. Even Noah’s ark must be protected when it could be a welcome source of food. Increasing hunger, moral dilemmas, and an open-ended story sets up a future of suspense and tension as one misstep could lead to certain doom.
Artwork adds to the sense of isolation and discomfort. Color shading alternates between hot reds and yellows to cold greens and violets. Even the ship has the organic darkness that builds the claustrophobic isolation. Unnatural beasts are illustrated with severe angles that juxtapose with rounded features of humans. This contrast seems to be accentuated in the electronic copy by the light from my tablet. Not only do the colors and shading create claustrophobia, but panels often become crowded by the characters. This artwork creates and maintains a cohesive setting and tone.
In Summary:
Like many titles written by Cullen Bunn, this first issue leaves open many possible story directions. There are signs of familial drama and a foreshadowing of survival horror. Questions of redemption and sacrifice permeate the dialog. Most historic flood myths occur when a deity sends a flood to punish the population, and survivors earn a new understanding of the nature of the world. In this flood, there is no guarantee of survival. Dark Ark issue one concerns the journey in a claustrophobic and dangerous universe that has been condensed to fit within the hull of a ship.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 17+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: September 20, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
