“Good Destiny”
Creative Staff:
Story: Inaki Miranda & Roy Miranda
Art: Inaki Miranda
Colors: Eva De La Cruz
Letterer: Dave Sharpe
What They Say:
We are back into the hopeful, apocalyptic world of Tala and Hototo.
Year 2090. Six years have passed since Salvation Day, when Palladions, with their majestic powers, emerged as the protectors of humanity, saving the five remaining Megalopolis and securing the future of the human species.
But nothing stays and the horizon always brings a new storm.
These are dark times. Death, famine and desperation lurk around the streets of Megalopolis 9. The shield has lost thirty percent of its reach. The New Nature has learned to create cuts in the energy channels that power the Beacon and the Palladions. A never-ending horde of beasts siege the remains of the city, increasing the desperation among the population.
The responsibility of keeping the city afloat lies on the shoulders of Generals Nesbo and Terrassa, who have to resort to risky survival measures. The reconnection missions are the only thing that is keeping the population secure…but nothing seems enough.
Powerlessness corners the Palladions, who fear not being able to protect the city.
Everything is black, except for the white snow that covers with silence the dying, black present.
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Having really enjoyed the We Live series from this team that kicked off in late 2020 and ran for five issues, I’ve definitely been curious about this incarnation of it. It’s one that moves things forward so there is plenty of room to explore the in-between but that disconnect is one that really looms large here. Inaki and Roy Miranda definitely have things planned out here and I know there’s a big design around a lot of this so I’m more than willing to give it some time to shake out and find its footing. Inaki Miranda’s artwork continues to be really fantastic with some great dynamic designs and layouts that really gives it a neat flow and some really well-done character designs that feel distinctive. It helps that Eva De La Cruz returned with this as the color design really brings in something special with it layering and shading. It’s ideal with Miranda’s style.
The opening for this is awkward in general because we get two launch issues with this one, Black, and another one with White. Here, we follow-up on where We Live was previously with Hototo and Tala missing their flight and trying to get out of the rain and that has them concerned about the future but both quite protective of the other. The world changed not long after that with the Mother Cenotes coming through from the other plane of existence and, upon going full upright, are stalking the world in significant numbers and destroying much of humanity. The city-state that we get to see things play out from here isn’t made clear if it’s the last one on Earth, but it has some strong protectors in the Palladions, kids who transformed into these adult-sized being with immense powers. And Hototo basically lives out his childhood dream of being a superhero, aka The Dragon – the protector that never slips. They’re able to tap into a power called The Punch which helps to drive their abilities.
With Tala a part of all of this as well, though not part of the initial group we’re exposed to, we get a good group of kids and there are a lot of others as well that have found powers in all of this that are fighting back. It’s here that things feel less formed, or at least less clear to me as a reader, as we see the dynamic of how the fights go and some of how the city defenses are, but we don’t really connect with any of the characters beyond the General who is orchestrating things. With a sizable boss they’re facing now, a lot of the book turns into chaos with all that unfolds in the fight itself and it’s beautifully illustrated., But we just don’t have enough setup going into it that feels like we’re in this world and understanding the stakes. Especially since the original series wrapped up over a year ago and this is a hard jumping-on issue. Which to be fair, the first We Live wasn’t the smoothest entry point as well, which is why I’ll easily give this time.
In Summary:
There is a lot going on in this opening issue and that’s not a bad thing. It doesn’t set things up in a way that I really wish it would have so that we felt grounded and connected – especially after the investment of the previous serious – but it’s a big new world here and there’s a lot to take in. The Miranda’s have a lot planned and going on here and I’m excited to see it reveal itself as it progresses. With some really engaging artwork and creative designs, this is the kind of series that could really wow someone and draw them in completely.
Grade: B
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: March 9th, 2022
MSRP: $4.99
