Ascencia #5

Ascencia #5

Wake Entertainment 2021

Written by John Dolmayan

Illustrated by Tony Parker

Coloured by Blond

Lettered by Taylor Esposito

In issue five of Ascencia, we meet a mysterious entity who imparts some foreboding wisdom. Should anyone-or anything-hold that much knowledge?

Meanwhile, Victor encounters a particularly drunk bar patron; and Talisman recounts a life-shaping event.

What an amazing and disturbing issue this is. As the book opens we kind of get this Tron meets Mission Impossible vibe going on what with the visuals and what we see him doing. It certainly has intrigue written all over it and it will certainly deal quite a blow to the building and what’s hidden away in there if what we see is what we see. Misdirection is a beautiful thing but considering what else we see happening this issue and the tie-in pages later it’s a safe bet it is precisely what we think it is. I am really impressed with this book it has never been stagnate and its constantly throwing us curve balls that change our opinions about what is happening and why, though what we do learn is certainly the most shocking of all things.

I am loving the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceedingly well. The character development is scary good, and I mean scary as in terrifying, thanks to how we see the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances that they encounter. Seriously the whole monologue with the Doc with her mouth taped shut is powerful, disturbing and chills you to the bone with its implications. The pacing here is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we are too enrapt with what we see to think of looking away.

How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificent to see. The layers contain those moments that both enhance the main arc as well as swirl around it and both add so much depth and complexity to the story in some terrifyingly delicious ways. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is beautifully achieved.

The interiors here are bloody marvellous! The linework is sensational and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the detail is phenomenal. I am thrilled with the way we see backgrounds incorporated here as they really enhance the moments and they also work within the composition of the panels to bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the book. The way that we see faces and facial expressions not to mention body language it works to further the characterisation incredibly well. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a stellar eye for storytelling. The colour work is equally as brilliant to see. Whether it’s in the darkness, the past or seen through the glow of coloured lighting how we see the various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a brilliant eye for how colour works.

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There were a lot of things that I was expecting to see but this issue shattered those expectations and I have to say that I couldn’t be any happier that it has done just that. Just means that John is crafting a story where you cannot take anything for granted or even close to face value. With trouble seemingly around every corner and with Victor being watched like a hawk how’s he expected to solve this is something he’s still trying to figure out. This book right here is why I love indie/self published books because the talent is mindbogglingly good and the passion for what they do comes right off the page.