Is there only one truth … or a singular destination?
Creative Staff:
Writers: Michael Dolce & Talent Caldwell
Artwork: Tony Moy
Colors: Jorge Cortes
Letters: Michael Dolce
What They Say:
There are people on this Earth that do not belong. It’s up to a Chicago detective and a covert, interdimensional police force to send them back where they came from.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
It has finally happened – the Anti-Hodge has infiltrated the Epicenter and chaos has broken loose as he takes control of the Mainstream. Allowing deception to divide their forces, the Keepers have no choice but to meet these foes head-on, even if it means to leave the doorway unguarded, but this was his intention all along, using Chicago’s finest to keep them busy. With no one else left other than scientists, Kate and Nate confront this lunatic, but not before he is able to activate the console, pulling the trio inside the portal – a nexus between worlds. It is here where they see the madness which motivated their nemesis … a landscape displaying infinite possibilities with finite paths to salvation. This was his goal, a place where he could fix his mistake, even if it meant the destruction of somewhere else just as precious. As they try to make sense of this confusion, the maniac will not concede defeat.
It is now the Anti-Hodge explains his delusion – he has torn a hole between realities, allowing his people a chance for survival and an opportunity to correct his mistake. Even as McCallister attempts to reason with him by expounding on the truth, their foe’s temper overrides any chance at logic, and with a simple press of a button, Director Foster is swept away through the emptiness. Unable to control his anger, Nate lashes out and demands an explanation, which was as simple as reversing the flow of the portal, thus pulling any foreign matter safely back to where it came from. However, while this fanatic was not returned to his place of origin, he is puzzled as to why this policeman is also unaffected. Could he too be someone displaced between worlds and perhaps also unsure of where he belongs? A new ally in this fight … or another enemy to be defeated?
In Summary:
To be quite honest, when The Mainstream began I thought this series would be an interesting read with thinly veiled sci-fi elements woven within the narrative, and as it progressed I began to appreciate the story’s complexity, but that soon turned to unwanted disappointment due to its measured pacing. Writers Michael Dolce and Talent Caldwell tried too hard create a story which crept along at a deliberate crawl, keeping the reader distracted with moments of excitement, all while putting off the need to flesh out Nate until the very end. Although some may like this development so as to concentrate on building up action, the primary focus of the title should have been of our protagonist’s lack of memory and a feeling of being out of place. And though they did address it during the introduction and hints were dropped like bread crumbs, you still became emotionally invested in our hero’s plight for acceptance, thus thinking this theme should have had held more importance than the destruction of two worlds. At times it feels as if Dolce and Caldwell added McCallister’s quest almost as an afterthought, in order to create a deeper bond with the reader, wondering if after the main script was finished, they were lacking a nuance which made us care for Nate.
As such, the progress of the story was heavy-handed at times, bombarding the audience with incredibly intense fight scenes and just a sprinkling of clues to remind us they hadn’t forgotten about Nate’s problems. However, with this type of advancement, you might lose readers due to lack of interest, those who followed the series to see how he could solve his problem in conjunction with uncovering the mystery behind Paradigm Energy and the Keepers. But from very the start, we became more concerned for the former and lacking on interest for the latter, even as we slowly tilted the balance as the series inched to a close. And yet, when we do reach the finale, instead of a gradual unfolding of Anti-Hodge’s secrets and revelations as to the detective’s true identity, this issue hits like a gut punch – with all the subtly of a flyweight being toyed around against a champion heavyweight boxer. What happened? This was supposed to be a profound moral dilemma: the fate of two worlds balanced within one man’s obsession to correct his mistakes and how McCallister seemed to be intertwined between them, and yet it is glanced over within the span of a few pages? And what is even more ridiculous is the solution to the problem – a convenient plot device which is supposed to literally wipe out all existence caught in the blast radius … but doesn’t? Improbable in the least and a meaningless method to conclude a story which had potential, which is a shame since if the explanations were spaced out more cleverly, The Mainstream could have become a memorable saga, instead of something which will only be remembered due to its fantastical action displays.
Speaking of which, the truly rewarding treat for this title was of course via the skilled hands of Tony Moy’s darkly focused and fiercely determined illustrations peppered by grimly foreboding colors courtesy of the talented Jorge Cortes. Their beautiful synergistic collaboration brings the narrative into focus, especially with this finale, helping to materialize Anti-Hodge’s rantings and give them a physical form. You can visually feel the struggle of Kate and Nate as they listen to this madman trying to rationalize his actions, with the suffocating landscape making his ravings seem counterproductive to the preponderance of destruction surrounding the group. And while Moy’s figures may appear to be disproportional at times, you cannot deny the intensity etched upon the actors’ faces, each loyal to their causes and relentlessness in defending their side of the story. And yet it is the grittiness of the environment which casts such a dark shadow on the future of the tale, knowing the outcome of the conversation will decide whether the world will survive or not. Cortes makes great use of his fantastic palette by surrounding us with darker tones of ebony and midnight blues during the opening, casting doubt on the future, all while acknowledging familiar images which anchor the reader with the present. But when we shift to the world outside the Mainstream, he purposefully deploys brighter colors, expressing the promising idea of hope by which heroes can save the world from one man. And while we bounce back and forth between these two dramatic scenes, the phrase One man can make a difference comes to mind, and we see within this issue displayed excellent artistic portraiture as to its meaning, as we watch the two foes face off, all ending with a fitting, if corny, conclusion including a Terminator image. To know this is the conclusion of the series may be satisfying, but at the same time, you do wish there was a bit more to see a promising closure for all of the characters.
The Mainstream had the promise of being a novel sci-fi series, but while being bombarded with technobabble and overcome by constant action scenes, we begin to forget this is the story of a man out of place and time. I would have appreciated the title more if they concentrated more on Nate’s journey and allowed the escapade between Anti-Hodge and the Keepers become the background for his discoveries. Instead, we are distracted by constant battles between two foes who only seemed determined to destroy each other to show they are the ones who are in the moral right. And while the fantastic artistic display helped to ease the monotony of explosive forays with their thrilling immersive distractions, in the end, I wish they focused more on human empathy and not a thirst for wanton destruction.
Grade: B
Series Grade: B+
Age Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: September 12, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
