Jules Verne's The Lighthouse #3

Jules Verne’s Lighthouse #3

Image Comics/Anomaly Productions 2021

Written by David Hine & Brian Haberlin

Illustrated by Brian Haberlin

Coloured by Geirrod Van Dyke

Lettered by Francis Takenaga

PART THREE – SECRET WAR

The ruthless Kongre and his pirates get their hands on the ultimate weapon of war then put the sole surviving Lighthouse crew member, Vasquez, on trial for her life! With Moses the glitchy nanny bot as her defence counsel, what could possibly go wrong?

The idea that Vasquez would get a fair trial from these pirates is laughable and we all knew that except the nanny bot who thought he’d get to make a difference as providing her defence. I really am loving this story so far it has been told in such a way that we get to see the viewpoints of all the character instead of one or two. It’s pretty impressive too considering how large the cast of characters are in this right now. It is also really nice to finally learn what it is the pirates are after and it is kind of scary to think of the possibilities. That the boys have been able to get the reader to become engaged and invested in this story to a a great degree is a testament to some amazing talent and skill.

I am very much enjoying 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 and how they act and react to the situations and circumstances is extraordinarily showcased. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing more and more of the story we’re kept glued to the pages.

I appreciate how we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to grow, strengthen and evolve with new avenues opening up as well. These layers contain some of the stronger characterisation like seeing the Bot not being able to shut up and saying things that are inappropriate which just adds a layer of humour to the story. What this does is add extra depth, dimension and complexity to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is perfectly achieved.

The interiors here are mindbogglingly gorgeous. I love seeing how detailed and extraordinary computer artwork can be nowadays. The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised to create this level & quality of detail work is astonishingly brilliant. The utilisation of backgrounds is marvellous as they not only enhance the moments, bring us a futuristic look and feel to the place but also as they work within the composition of the panels to bring us depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the book is phenomenal. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels it shows a masterful eye for storytelling. The colour work is equally as brilliant to behold. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work is extraordinarily rendered. Plus there are moments that are meant to draw your eye and make things pop and it does this so dramatically.

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This is a brilliantly told story thus far and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon. There is a fantastic mix of characters and species that allow for great use of creativity and imagination throughout. I also love the drama playing within Vasquez’s own mind about her ordeal in that war and to be confronted with survivors who were so disfigured from it it’ll be interesting to see if she can pull herself together and survive her current situation. Provided the nanny bot doesn’t get in the way. Extraordinarily told through the writing and characterisation that is surrounded by truly awe inspiring artwork, the Lighthouse is one of today’s most intriguing offerings.