Clans of Belari #3

Clans of Belari #3

Aftershock Comics 2021

Written by Peter & Rob Blackie

Illustrated by Daniel Maine

Coloured by Carlos Lopez

Lettered by Taylor Esposito

After Gummy bribes the right people, Te’a is able to pursue her dream of being a pilot. As it turns out she is a gifted pilot, whose accomplishments quickly earn her notoriety. But her mav-erick decision-making puts her at odds with her own Chieftain, Burke Graff.

Cluthian’s quest for alien-tech weaponry leads him to a surprising discovery: a technology that is destined to alter the balance of power in the System. But for Cluthian to carry out his plan, he needs someone capable, and expendable…

This is one of those series that gets better with each issue. It is a prime example of what good strong storytelling is supposed to look like as well. The crescendo of storytelling is beautifully demonstrated throughout the series thus far and this issue feels like it is leading us towards a climax and it’s going to be one that is sure to thrill and excite. I mean if this is any indication of what’s to come I’m ready to strap in beside Gummy and go for that ride. This has been building up to what’s to come and that we’ve jumped to that point and don’t feel like we’ve missed those years is really impressive to me.

I am a huge fan of 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 exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter helps us see their personalities magnificently. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story the more we are drawn into it as well.

How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story are continuing to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificently rendered here. Just the sequence events we see and how they impact the story arc is masterfully rendered and I cannot stress this enough. These avenues that open up are sensational. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is incredibly well achieved.

The interiors here are a very strong classic comic book style and they take this science fiction drama to that place it needs it to be. The linework is clean, crisp and strong and the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create the level & quality in the detail work that we see is magnificent. The faces and facial expressions really do wonders in furthering the characterisation. The way backgrounds are being utilised to expand and enhance the moments is fantastic. How we see them work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is great. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a sensational eye for how colour works.

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The subterfuge, intrigue and machinations that we see behind the scenes from the others in this story is expressed extremely well. How they add to the depth of storytelling is amazing and it takes the story to this place where nighttime soap operas belong. The writing here is so strong and complex and the characterisation is sensational while these interiors really bring it all to life beautifully. Aftershock can do no wrong when it comes to what they put on stands and this book is living proof of this.