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Surface Tension
ALIEN KILLERS! MUTATED SEA MONSTERS! HUMANITY'S LAST GASP!
Months after mysterious corals drew 99% of humanity into the sea, a band of survivors ekes out a hollow existence on a remote British island. When two people are cast up on the beach, completely blue, but very much alive, the island is thrown into turmoil.
What is the secret behind the mass extinction event... and will this pair of altered humans prove our salvation - or our undoing?!
Months after mysterious corals forced 99% of humanity to walk into the sea, a band of survivors eke out a hollow existence on a remote British island.
When two people are washed up on the beach, back from the dead and with their biology completely changed, the survivors are thrown into chaos.
Does the pair represent humanity's last hope - or have they returned as its executioners?
What caused the mass extinction event? How did these two return from the deep, when billions died? And what dark forces have followed them back onto the land?
Lastly, and most importantly, what is the coral, what does it want with the Earth... and what does it have to do with a man who went missing, shortly before the Sea-Sickness hit?"
Months after mysterious corals drew 99% of humanity into the sea, a band of survivors ekes out a hollow existence on a remote British island. When two people are cast up on the beach, completely blue, but very much alive, the island is thrown into turmoil.
What is the secret behind the mass extinction event... and will this pair of altered humans prove our salvation - or our undoing?!
Months after mysterious corals forced 99% of humanity to walk into the sea, a band of survivors eke out a hollow existence on a remote British island.
When two people are washed up on the beach, back from the dead and with their biology completely changed, the survivors are thrown into chaos.
Does the pair represent humanity's last hope - or have they returned as its executioners?
What caused the mass extinction event? How did these two return from the deep, when billions died? And what dark forces have followed them back onto the land?
Lastly, and most importantly, what is the coral, what does it want with the Earth... and what does it have to do with a man who went missing, shortly before the Sea-Sickness hit?"
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2016
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402 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
October 1, 2022
2.5
imho the art sucked a little and made the story difficult to enjoy
imho the art sucked a little and made the story difficult to enjoy
May 19, 2016
I admit, I'm a sucker for sea creature-centric horror. SOMA, the old Alien ripoff, Leviathan, The Deep, a lot of stuff H.P. Lovecraft wrote about--the sea is just such a creepy, unexplored place that the possibilities are nearly limitless. So when Surface Tension showed up at my doorstep in my Comic Bento subscription, I was pretty excited. The premise of a disease infecting most of Earth's human population and drawing them into the oceans immediately had my interest. The way things played out however, was decidedly a mixed bag.
Without getting into spoilers, I'll say that the ultimate motivating force behind the massive coral structures that rose out of the oceans of the world felt like something straight out of a 1950s sci-fi movie, complete with heavy moralizing, and vague teaser for a sequel. But the journey to get there fared a little better, with colorful art, cool monster designs, and a decent atmosphere of isolation among the human survivors. That said, while the creature/animal artwork was quite good, some of the human artwork left a bit to be desired--particularly with facial expressions. Gunn gets the job done, don't get me wrong, but there were a few panels that were unintentionally comedic. Also, I felt this story was supposed to have at least something of a horror bent, but so much of the art is bright and sunny, that it undermines any sense of dread that rightly seems like it should be there at times.
All in all, Surface Tension was a decent creature feature, with an environmentalist bent. If you don't mind an overt message behind your stories about slavering mutant sea beasts, and if you can roll with an ending that's somewhat contrived and abrupt, you'll probably get some enjoyment out of this one.
Without getting into spoilers, I'll say that the ultimate motivating force behind the massive coral structures that rose out of the oceans of the world felt like something straight out of a 1950s sci-fi movie, complete with heavy moralizing, and vague teaser for a sequel. But the journey to get there fared a little better, with colorful art, cool monster designs, and a decent atmosphere of isolation among the human survivors. That said, while the creature/animal artwork was quite good, some of the human artwork left a bit to be desired--particularly with facial expressions. Gunn gets the job done, don't get me wrong, but there were a few panels that were unintentionally comedic. Also, I felt this story was supposed to have at least something of a horror bent, but so much of the art is bright and sunny, that it undermines any sense of dread that rightly seems like it should be there at times.
All in all, Surface Tension was a decent creature feature, with an environmentalist bent. If you don't mind an overt message behind your stories about slavering mutant sea beasts, and if you can roll with an ending that's somewhat contrived and abrupt, you'll probably get some enjoyment out of this one.
September 12, 2019
Surprisingly good. It's like and environmental horror/scifi story.
September 21, 2017
Sci-fi-eco-horror. Adult. Just not my taste.
Story: On the island of Breith, a community has lived in fear for many years. A sort of plague struck which disfigured people and called them to the water, killing off most of the inhabitants. Those left have dealt with grief and survival and trying to move on from the horror and not get sick themselves. Then one day two people return from the sea, now blue, but still coherent and alive and not sick. As time goes on it is unclear whether these two are here to save the world or to destroy it.
Language: If this were a book, I would have called it horribly cheesy with bad lines. As a graphic novel, I wasn't convinced, but I hope others will pick this up and enjoy it. There's a lot of cursing in this book along with a scene of violence, so I would call this adult only. While the coloring in the book were great, lots of purples, blues and greens, the look of the humans and creatures just wasn't my taste.
Characters: Our main character is Megumi (in the red dress on the cover). She's a scientist and one of the ones who discovered the coral and start of the sickness and one of the two who came back out of the ocean. I liked her character, a bit eco-warrior with some clearly Asian characteristics. There are a lot of family characters in this book - fathers, sons, brothers and so on, which I appreciated, as this is based on a small island. I also enjoyed the racial diversity in this book.
I would give Gunn another chance, but this one just wasn't my taste.
Story: On the island of Breith, a community has lived in fear for many years. A sort of plague struck which disfigured people and called them to the water, killing off most of the inhabitants. Those left have dealt with grief and survival and trying to move on from the horror and not get sick themselves. Then one day two people return from the sea, now blue, but still coherent and alive and not sick. As time goes on it is unclear whether these two are here to save the world or to destroy it.
Language: If this were a book, I would have called it horribly cheesy with bad lines. As a graphic novel, I wasn't convinced, but I hope others will pick this up and enjoy it. There's a lot of cursing in this book along with a scene of violence, so I would call this adult only. While the coloring in the book were great, lots of purples, blues and greens, the look of the humans and creatures just wasn't my taste.
Characters: Our main character is Megumi (in the red dress on the cover). She's a scientist and one of the ones who discovered the coral and start of the sickness and one of the two who came back out of the ocean. I liked her character, a bit eco-warrior with some clearly Asian characteristics. There are a lot of family characters in this book - fathers, sons, brothers and so on, which I appreciated, as this is based on a small island. I also enjoyed the racial diversity in this book.
I would give Gunn another chance, but this one just wasn't my taste.
June 26, 2020
Set on a small fictional channel island and focussing on a small community of survivors coping with the aftermath of a global ecopocalypse, Jay Gunn's Surface Tension is a remarkable slice of modern comics magic. The story is a heady whirlwind of high concepts mixed with interpersonal character drama. Although it suffers structurally from a reliance on lengthy flashbacks - the tight focus, not just on the small island but on a few select characters, is to its benefit. There are some lasting ecological overtones that are sadly always likely to be relevant and lend it a strangely poignant air.
Formerly a designer in the games industry - Gunn's gracefully referenced and detailed artwork strongly recalls the work of Bryan Talbot - but with a much more deft use of muted painterly digital colouring. Only very occasionally does the reliance on photo-references produce the odd stiff pose or awkward angle. It his mixture of both clean line and dense detail, in particularly busy rust patches or the shaded contours on chunks of stone, that is my personal happy place artistically.
I learnt only afterwards in the smattering of additional content that this was Jay Gunn's debut comic. Alone it is a fascinating and interesting work, but as a debut it's nothing short of stunning. Here's to more!
Formerly a designer in the games industry - Gunn's gracefully referenced and detailed artwork strongly recalls the work of Bryan Talbot - but with a much more deft use of muted painterly digital colouring. Only very occasionally does the reliance on photo-references produce the odd stiff pose or awkward angle. It his mixture of both clean line and dense detail, in particularly busy rust patches or the shaded contours on chunks of stone, that is my personal happy place artistically.
I learnt only afterwards in the smattering of additional content that this was Jay Gunn's debut comic. Alone it is a fascinating and interesting work, but as a debut it's nothing short of stunning. Here's to more!
September 17, 2017
Giant sea shells emerge from the sea, kicking off a small town post-apocalyptic sea-based survival horror thriller. The concept was built with care and the details of the world are its best features. As a single trade it tells a compelling family tale with strong arcs and a satisfying conclusion. From water zombies to Miyazaki monsters, this story keeps the reader guessing about the reasons for the disaster and the fate of the characters. When you read it you may find yourself imagining it as a solid horror sci-fi movie or show. Plus, like any comic worth its salt, this one sticks with you after you read it.
December 31, 2021
The pacing and narrative style are generally just confusing, and the sometimes comically bad character art only adds to the mess. The plot is a little interesting in its details even if it's nothing that exciting thematically. However, I must give credit where credit's due: the creature/monster design is fantastic, and the set pieces featuring them or big, environmental backdrops delivered all the awe and inspiration the rest of the book kept trying and failing to reach.
July 3, 2019
A unexpected delight. Lovely line work and a compelling tale. But what really makes it is the profile at the back; from researching locations to being inspired by personal circumstances, this is a passion project that deserves your time.
October 11, 2017
Beatiful take on 'a dystopian world' story.
July 30, 2018
Este cómic contiene un potente mensaje, acorde a estos tiempos. Por favor cuidemos el mundo que tenemos.
May 2, 2020
Excellent tale of ecological horror and the dangers of upsetting the balance of the natural world.
October 1, 2025
This is a brilliant read! Sea sickness took over the world, making the host turn into a zombie like walker and walking off into the sea, never to be seen again.
Really well thought out and imaginative narrative. This was complex and intelligent.
I loved the art work too. No faults with this. Fresh and engaging. Loved it
Really well thought out and imaginative narrative. This was complex and intelligent.
I loved the art work too. No faults with this. Fresh and engaging. Loved it
July 1, 2016
Surface Tension was included in the Elementals box that I received from Comic Bento. There are parts of this book that I absolutely loved and a couple that fell flat.
A year ago, the vast majority of the world's population walked into the sea never to return. The survivors remaining on a remote island have been scraping by when two people unexpectedly return, but they are obviously changed. The book goes on to tell the story of what caused the mass migration while showing how the survivors deal with the return of the loved ones they thought lost.
There is clearly an environmentalist bent to the story, although I felt like the bias was not as heavy in the first portion of the book. It never got to the point that it felt unreadable or overly agenda bent. The reactions of the characters to the events around them help the book shine. Their thoughts and actions felt natural.
Which brings me to the art. A lot of the drawings of the people felt lacking, almost as if they were not fully realized. This probably stood our more because the creatures and the landscapes are extremely detailed. The creatures in particular look like they could have come from a Hiyao Miyazaki film.
There is some nudity and violence. I didn't find it particularly graphic though. It would probably be suitable for a high school student to read.
A year ago, the vast majority of the world's population walked into the sea never to return. The survivors remaining on a remote island have been scraping by when two people unexpectedly return, but they are obviously changed. The book goes on to tell the story of what caused the mass migration while showing how the survivors deal with the return of the loved ones they thought lost.
There is clearly an environmentalist bent to the story, although I felt like the bias was not as heavy in the first portion of the book. It never got to the point that it felt unreadable or overly agenda bent. The reactions of the characters to the events around them help the book shine. Their thoughts and actions felt natural.
Which brings me to the art. A lot of the drawings of the people felt lacking, almost as if they were not fully realized. This probably stood our more because the creatures and the landscapes are extremely detailed. The creatures in particular look like they could have come from a Hiyao Miyazaki film.
There is some nudity and violence. I didn't find it particularly graphic though. It would probably be suitable for a high school student to read.
May 15, 2016
I got this from Comic Bento, and as with all of Titan Comics' offerings from that service, it was certainly a creative and interesting exercise. The premise is most of the human race was wiped out by a mysterious disease which caused the infected to wander into the ocean. Once there, the bodies quickly melted away. A handful of survivors still exist, and then one day a man and a woman come back.
The cause of the sea-sickness, the mysterious coral structures that popped up everywhere, and what the two survivors are there for is explored during the course of the story. Of the two, the woman, a Japanese ecologist, gets the most to do in terms of the plot. The volume in question features a good bit of body horror, particularly when the coral sends an anti-body monster out to deal with the escapees, a creature that seems able to dissolve and reshape human flesh through mere contact.
The volume does have a strong environmental message that can come across as a little preachy in places.
The cause of the sea-sickness, the mysterious coral structures that popped up everywhere, and what the two survivors are there for is explored during the course of the story. Of the two, the woman, a Japanese ecologist, gets the most to do in terms of the plot. The volume in question features a good bit of body horror, particularly when the coral sends an anti-body monster out to deal with the escapees, a creature that seems able to dissolve and reshape human flesh through mere contact.
The volume does have a strong environmental message that can come across as a little preachy in places.
August 27, 2016
Interesting book - this is like if Hayao Miyazaki and John Carpenter teamed up to make an aquatically-themed zombie book. I'm honestly TIRED of zombie stuff, so it takes something like this, a story with an interesting take on the whole concept, for me to engage. It's a bit preachy like most media with an environmentalist tinge, but it's not too overbearing - It's more Avatar than Captain Planet if that makes sense. The art is good, if not a tad inconsistent at times, but it seems like this may be Gunn's debut - can't wait to see what he follows this up with. I've been pleased with Titan Comics in the past with their Doctor Who line, glad to see some original stuff coming from them!
February 7, 2017
Awesome graphic novel! There are only small colonies of humans left after most people got a sickness that drew them into the sea and never returned. This is a scifi-fantasy story with some horror elements and also a story about how humans have caused so much damage to our planet and whether or not we deserve a second chance here. It's a great story. The art is very good and colours are amazing. Story is well-paced, it's interesting and raises thoughts but is not preachy. I liked the characters too. You can see there was a lot of thought and preparation put into this comic.
May 2, 2016
Got this one in this month's Comicbento box and loved it!
Very original story and very apt for our times. It has a little bit of a manga feel to it, especially in the art work on the monsters. There is a little bit of nudity and quite a bit of violence, so not really appropriate for younger readers, but I would feel comfortable with my 15 year old reading it.
Very original story and very apt for our times. It has a little bit of a manga feel to it, especially in the art work on the monsters. There is a little bit of nudity and quite a bit of violence, so not really appropriate for younger readers, but I would feel comfortable with my 15 year old reading it.
May 12, 2016
I got this in my Comic Bento. The art work sucks a little. It's a tree hugger story which isn't my cup of tea. Despite everything, I was extremely surprised and really enjoyed the comic. I couldn't put this trade paperback down.
August 8, 2017
Vivid adventure
An imaginative and fast moving storyline which explores a lot of themes. Great visuals. I was really booked on this. Recommended!
An imaginative and fast moving storyline which explores a lot of themes. Great visuals. I was really booked on this. Recommended!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews