[Editor’s note: This review may contain spoilers.]
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander
Inker: Luis NCT
Summary
Vic and Keaton find a bunker with a broken snowmobile. They try to survive on the ice. They bond. Keaton tells Vic that she has Frostbite. That does not go well. Vic explains that heat makes the disease worse and the best thing for Keaton is to stay cold. Vic tells Keaton that she has a cure for Frostbite in San Francisco and that is why she needs to get that. That goes really well. Just as they are ready to go, a guy dressed like Indiana Jones who has a polar bear as a pet shows up, beats the crap of out of Keaton and takes them on his boat, the Titanic. He tells Vic that he figured out Keaton killed her father. That goes really poorly.
Positives
I keep loving this book more than is reasonable. It is cold outside. The last thing I want to do is read a book that has entire pages full of cold, snow and misery, but I can not look away. Jason Shawn Alexander is so good and he makes me shiver. There is one scene in this where the point of view is an empty, dark room. As Keaton and Vic open the door the miserable world is revealed. What an interesting way to tell a story. Who would have thought to do the reveal in reverse? We often are used to seeing the view from the main character’s eyes. In this world, as awesome and strong as Keaton is, she is not more powerful than the weather. It is a great scene.
The pacing of this is just spot on as well. Williamson, who has the superhero genre nailed, proves that he does not need spandex to tell a great story. Almost nothing happens in this issue, but it is filled with tension and angst. I read through it so quickly that I had to go back a second time to really do a close read. I was just sucked in and I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I mean, I knew that Vic was going to find out eventually, that is impossible to keep a secret forever, but I just wondered is this the time? How about now? Wait, is she going to tell her? Holy crap!? Â It is just so good.
Negatives
I am hard pressed to find anything wrong with this issue. I love the pacing, but I could see where people could find it plodding. Almost nothing happens. I get that. If one wants action, there is only a handful of those scenes and they are more like beatdowns instead of actual fights.
Verdict
I love this book. I wish it was not just a mini-series but I get why it is one. Two issues to go. That last page of this book is so good. Now I have to wait a month. That is going to be painful. I think it is brilliant that the final book comes out just before spring. Can I read into that? Hmmmm.
