Written by: Rick Remender
Art by: Matteo Scalera
Publisher: Image
Is Remender the new sci-fi king? Well he has at least got to be considered giving his new series starting this week, Low, and this week’s return of Black Science.
Remender just does sci-fi so well, but yet he writes such intricate characters that when you are reading an issue of Black Science, you don’t even think about the tech or the aliens or any other sci-fi related nuances, you are just immersed in the character driven story.
Black Science begins it second arc after a brief hiatus, and puts the reader straight into some crazy action and a situation where we don’t know what is happening and how the characters got there. Some books do this and you are left with complete confusion as to what is going on and usually makes you want to not read it, Remender however has crafted the characters so well in the series so far that despite only have 6 previous issues, you do care for what happens to these characters and therefore though we jump on to something we have no idea about we are still captivated.
This issue is centered around Kadir, now I don’t know if he has had a change of heart of who he is, or he has been affected deeply by the cliffhanger at the end of #6, but he seems like a completely different character as to how he has been written in the series so far. It works so well this shift in character, and it is all explained in the narration during the issue as to why he is doing what he is doing. The narration really creates a connection between the reader and Kadir that I don’t think we have experience so far in this series with any other character.
As well as the character driven story, this issue is jam-packed with great action and superbly drawn sequences that makes this issue a really fast and exciting read and it comes to a stop on the last page or so with another cliffhanger. And while there seems to be a slight tonal shift from concentrating on the science behind what these sliders (that is what I am calling them because I used to love th
at show) are doing and how they are going to get back, especially considering the end of the last issue, it is not a bad thing that this change has occurred and it feels like this arc we will get to know more about the characters and not the science.
Showcasing the writing once again though is Scalera on art. What a job he has, to be able to create different dimensions and species each issue he must be loving it as he is doing such a great job. The consistency each and every issue has been great and this issue is no different. From the exceptional splash pages to the details of the characters faces it all looks great and really puts this issue on a pedestal when combined with the excellent writing.
This series continues to be one of the strongest of 2014. It combines everything a reader would need, want and ever dream about. It really pushes the boundaries in terms of what a creative team can do especially in light of the cliffhanger of the last issue and the state of play in this issue because of that cliffhanger. And despite the slight tonal change this issue the reader is still given a fast paced, thought-provoking, adrenaline driven issue that finishes on such a cliff-hanger (literally) that we can’t wait to be entertained again next month. Or this week even, Low #1 anyone?
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