Little goes well for the McClean famil there.
Creative Staff:
Story: Stephanie Phillips
Art: Tony Shasteen
Colors: JD Mettler
Letterer: Troy Peteri
What They Say:
Surviving a nuclear attack in the 1950s, the McClean’s wake to find that the explosions have somehow propelled them into the post-apocalyptic United States that has been moved entirely underground. While the McCleans find a country caught in a never-ending war, they also learn that this new underground society might be willing to go to extreme lengths in order to destroy their enemies. Can the McCleans find a way to return to their own time before it’s too late?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
I’ve definitely enjoyed what Stephanie Phillips has put together here as it’s giving me big “Coming of the Quantum Cats” vibes overall, just with the years being different for the two worlds that the McClean’s have been to so far. There’s a lot of tension and cold war material here that’s taken to the next level since the war became a hot one and I’m loving it. Especially as Tony Shasteen and JD Mettler are giving it such an amazing look. Whether it’s Tim’s time in the cleaner with the green and yellow so prominent or just the starkness of the hallways that feels so right for the old science lab and other rooms, everything hits that sweet spot just right and makes me feel like I’m in the place.
Confusion still abounds here because nobody is really understanding what’s happening and it’s admittedly easy to understand why nobody is believing the McClean’s. What we get is Tim being put through some harsh disinfecting since he was outside and working him through it with questioning, though his “old friend” doesn’t know him in the slightest – even if Tim seems to know things about him when he was young. Tim’s mostly trying to figure out what’s going on and standing tall while being protective of his family, especially since there are implied threats against Linda that don’t appear to be carried out. It’s just a lot of tension and a growing sense of unease about how dangerous this world is since the hot war started a lot earlier and little makes sense to those who just arrived.
We do get things a bit more interactive when it comes to the kids as they’re shown some basic propaganda (the only good commie is a dead commie) before Robin finally has enough and manages to sneak the two of them out of their holding room. It’s a pretty decent little run through the halls before they’re confronted but they get helped out by Roger, a guy about Robin’s age who thinks they’re being held because they probably stole some candy. It’s anything but and he ends up believing their tale simply because it’s too strange to not be true, to make up something like that. Of course, this puts them on the run and they make a disturbing discovery that paints this world in an even bleaker way. I won’t say I was expecting it but it’s the kind of twist that you nod to and wonder just how more disturbing this story is going to get.
In Summary:
Nuclear Family is the kind of book that I almost want in novel form because I just want to devour it and get to the secrets that it holds. Phillips’s script is taking us through things pretty naturally but I want to just burn through it and see what’s next. Shaheen and Mettler definitely make this all the more intense because of how the book looks as they capture the time period and style so well and it’s so appropriate for the material itself. I’m thoroughly enjoying this book and all the teases it’s giving us but hope that there are some real answers coming soon so that it’s not just a constant tease. This feels like it’s shaping up to be either a strong run that could go for a good bit or a really good Twilight Zone style miniseries that just takes us on one hell of a ride.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 16+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: April 28th, 2021
MSRP: $4.99
