Deep Beyond #02

Deep Beyond #02

Image Comics 2021

Written by Mirka Andolfo & David Goy

Illustrated by Andrea Broccardo

Coloured by Barbara Nosenzo

Lettered by Fabio Amelia

Paul hasn’t recovered from the mysterious Jolene’s shocking resemblance to Pamela, and for the meek and fearful scientist, the situation is already getting worse. The scary sea monsters who rushed them seem to be unbeatable. Will they find a way to survive? Outside help will be needed…and luckily, they will make some new friends who will help them survive. And in the meantime, Pam is still trapped in the deep ocean.

There are so many good, solid books on stands these days that it makes it hard to choose sometimes which ones are going home with you. Trust me when I tell you that if Mirka is involved in the book it should automatically go home with you, the woman is amazing and she’s so incredibly talented and gifted as a storyteller. Here alongside David the two have built this world has reached a certain level after a devastating event that is inspiring and showcases the human desire to grow, thrive and dare I say conquer, still. War, possession and its ilk aren’t going to disappear unfortunately but the way we see it here is rather remarkably well achieved.

I like the way that this is being told. How we see the story & plot development through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is done in a way that helps engage the readers’ minds and imaginations. Plus there is just information doled out to keep us on the hook but not enough for us to make more than an uneducated guess and I think that’s a part of the appeal. The character development that we see here is astounding and as we see them act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter we are constantly getting to know them better. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of this world it almost has a hypnotic effect upon the reader.

I like the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow and take shape. There is something about watching them handle their grief and such while attending to the business at hand that is fascinating here. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow is utterly delightful.

I am in love with the interior artwork here. First things first, I HAVE to mention how the creativity and imagination that we see here is completely and utterly phenomenal! I mean from the suits to the sea creatures to the everyday items and this holographic assistant I am incredibly impressed with what I see. The linework is fantastic and with the varying weights and techniques that I see being utilised to create the detail work really is stupendous! That we see backgrounds so heavily prevalent throughout makes me happy since they not only expand and enhance the moments but they bring us this great depth perception, sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show an outstanding eye for storytelling. The colour work is truly divine! From said holographic assistant to how the various hues and tones within the colours are utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work we see someone whose understanding of how colour works is exemplary.

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What a fun, unique and original book this is! The level and quality of the storytelling here is precisely why we gravitate towards certain comics, this being high among those. You leave this wanting to be a part of this world and I cannot think of a higher compliment to give.