Eve is a survivor … never bet against her, no matter the odds.
Creative Staff:
Writer: Ralph Tedesco
Artwork: Oliver Borges
Colors: Fran Gamboa with J.C. Ruiz
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
What They Say:
In Longview, a vicious attack by a large pack of primals may be the least of the residents’ concerns when the cold-blooded gang leader, Gillings arrives looking for his stolen cargo. Will Eve escape the Divinity and make it back in time to cut a deal for her friends’ safety?
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
As Eve and Glen fight for their lives in the Divinity’s warped Arena of Liminality, Morgan finds he and his people within a similar situation at Longview, with primals slowly converging upon their compound and they running low on ammo. However, with the children and non-combatants safely secured out of danger, this pragmatic leader has no other options to see that his charges survive this night, with his fellow guards arguing as to the suicidal nature of the mission – to lure the feral beasts into one place for a better tactical advantage. Although he listens to all they have to say, this sensible man will not falter from his position, believing this is the only way to save the community with least number of casualties, but the practicality of this idea is exacerbated since they must use silenced weapons so as not to attract more of the hungry creatures. But as the pack of mutated animals converge on the panicked people, from their hidden advantage points the defenders soon find to their horror the fletched projectile are doing little damage, unable to penetrate the tough hides of these ferocious carnivores.
With a little help from Artie the two gladiators have managed to stay alive for the time being, however as their dissatisfied hosts escort the cheating combatants from the bloody stadium, it is the head of this cult who has the last say in their fate, only to be told their judgment will be decided tomorrow night. Telling his sentries to escort the prisoners back to their cells, the guards are soon distracted by a plea for help as Glen moans he has injured his ankle, only to find themselves defeated as he and Eve shoot them with their own guns. Fighting their way out of the dimly lit corridors of the dungeon, the two captives soon find themselves back in the assembly room with a cowering leader hiding behind his throne, defiantly stating they will soon be surrounded unless they give up. Unwilling to surrender now, they escort the Master outside where his followers fervently want to know what they should do, with the commander stating they should listen to what they are told, even as Glen shoots out the tires of the surrounding vehicles. With a gun at his back and men unable to anything in retaliation, these former hostages find themselves in control, taking one of the remaining trucks and crashing through the barricade of the compound, now on the run with the Divinity in swift pursuit.
In Summary:
Although the odds of Eve having a meaningful life with Liam within Liberty seemed stacked against her, writer Ralph Tedesco does not fail to keep the reader interested throughout the series, with this epic finale dividing our attention via divergent plot lines which converge into a somewhat predictable conclusion, and yet it is the foundational essence of the title which allows us to become invested within the struggle of multiple protagonists and antagonists – human drives and interests. From the beginning we knew Harper wanted to be reunited with her brother, however even when she found out about the foolish mistake he made of going back to work for Gillings, there was still the underlying want to save her surviving family, even if it meant dealing with such a detestable man and his equally underhanded sister Ada. But who would have ever guessed this vile woman was the one who held the true power within and outside the stronghold, with the former gang leader being but a pawn with a delusion of control, being told what to do as she manipulated people behind the scenes and blamed everyone but herself when things did not go her way. It is this tenuous relationship of projecting a false bravado between the siblings which made the narrative a bit confusion in the beginning, only revealing the truth after the Divinity executes her orders and Gillings is essentially told to mind his temper within Ada’s presence. But at the same time, it makes one wonder if either is telling the full truth as to the depth of their own warped plans, keeping secrets hidden both from each other and the audience at the same time, especially the importance of the secret cargo which is at the core of the story, and yet Tedesco never discloses what it may be or why so many people had to suffer to get it back. With the convoluted web of deceit which it entangles, its importance is the highlight of the series, becoming the focus which: involves the citizens of Longview, causes Myra to lose her husband and betray Morgan, drives Eve to work again for Liberty to retrieve the mysterious package and eventually be captured by Divinity, with the title coming full circle to the struggling community and permitting the audience to witness The Courier’s painful choice all due to Gillings’ need for control and a desire to punish someone who he thought had feelings for him, leading back to his sister’s observation made true, and so making the two leaders guilty for all the suffering within the title.
However even within this labyrinthine plot, Tedesco still manages to keep each character’s motivations largely intact, allowing everyone to have their own personal drives and leading them to the choices which will effect everyone within the vicinity. The humane nature of this wasteland is what keeps the story interesting, with each person becoming the essence of a primal impulse: Gillings and Ada are greed and self-worth, Morgan is a virtuous man who will do anything to keep his people alive, Myra is overcome by misery, wanting to blame others for her husband’s choice and seeking revenge due to that sadness, the Divinity are fanatics who seek understanding from perverted scripture which has lead them to sickening dedication and finally Eve is lead by the most noble of all – the sanctity of family, wanting to protect Liam from his mistakes and remember the promise she made so long ago to protect him. And yet while these raison d’être may seem disparate, they all link each person to a much grander picture with the Gillings at the center, allowing his actions to become the trigger which results in each domino unequivocally falling, resulting in an ending which may be clichéd, but at the same time making the reader all the more driven to see what happens next.
And yet as we succumb to the desperation of this final issue, one cannot deny the visual splendor which Oliver Borges brings to the title with this shocking introduction, his striking illustrations composed of crisp linework fully embracing both sides of the same coin – brutally depicting the Divinity’s compound as Eve and Glen fight for their lives against primals, only to turn that cruelty into something meaningful as we see the desperation to survive via painful expressions upon their tired faces. But even as those pronounced panels show us this cowardly savagery, it is the drab palette selection from Fran Gamboa and J.C. Ruiz which emphasizes these moments with the briefest release from the depressing scene, permitting simplistic colors such black and white from our protagonists’ costumes to focus our attention as the rest of the event is muted thanks to earthen background tones, with flashes of light to break the monotony even as splashes of crimson splatter across the event to show the mortality of the combatants. And yet even as this same somber color selection continues into Longview, one cannot but feel the weight of this same depressing mood due to a different factor – their need to face the fact that they may not survive this encounter, with an additional veil of grey shadows magnifying the gloomy sense of knowing death is approaching upon tooth and nail.
The Courier: Liberty and Death may have had a predictable theme due to this same scenario being played out in classic post-apocalyptic narratives, and yet the underlying motivations of the characters helps to bring a sense of accomplishment to their causes, even when things look the darkest. To witness each person’s motivations clearly defined adds a certain gravitas toward their personalities, even if you may not admire what drives them, you can for the most part understand how circumstances have driven them toward what they feel is necessary, all while they collapse under the weight of their decisions. With moving artistry and somber colors to amplify the crushing tone of this limited series, one cannot but feel mildly frustrated as the story comes to such an abrupt end, and while the closing pages do paint wanting need to see Eve’s story continue, the disappointment that it will not come anytime soon makes the wait all the more painful.
Grade: A
Series Grade: A
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: March 31, 2021
MSRP: $5.99
