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Low
Low, Vol. 3: Shore of the Dying Light
Stel Caine rises from the depths to the surface of the Earth, the first human in millennia to walk on the sun-blasted wasteland. Her daughters aren't far behind, and not everyone shares Stel's hopeful outlook for the future. Will this family reunion reveal the key to mankind's salvation... or snuff out the light forever?
Collecting: Low 11-15
Collecting: Low 11-15
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2016
17 people are currently reading
643 people want to read
About the author
Rick Remender
1,244 books1,424 followersRick Remender is an American comic book writer and artist who resides in Los Angeles, California. He is the writer/co-creator of many independent comic books like Black Science, Deadly Class, LOW, Fear Agent and Seven to Eternity. Previously, he wrote The Punisher, Uncanny X-Force, Captain America and Uncanny Avengers for Marvel Comics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
April 5, 2023
6.57 on CAWPILE
March 30, 2021
This is one crazy, f'd up, depressing story with bad art and yet I still dig it. I love the character designs even if it's not always clear in every panel exactly what is happening. Remender writes these really appealing characters you root for even after they do stupid, s#!tty things.
Anyway the girls start to reconnect with one another after being apart for 10 years while their mother traverses the surface on the hunt for the probe that could save humanity. My favorite parts were on the surface even if it stole a lot from Komandi and Thundarr. Looking forward to see where this heads next after that crushing ending.
Anyway the girls start to reconnect with one another after being apart for 10 years while their mother traverses the surface on the hunt for the probe that could save humanity. My favorite parts were on the surface even if it stole a lot from Komandi and Thundarr. Looking forward to see where this heads next after that crushing ending.
September 18, 2023
New Review: 2023 - Still the same feelings except I liked it even more and bumping it to a 5. The opening is hopeful, the middle crushing, then back to having hope then BAM, awful at the end. A great up and down and I need more.
Old Review 2017: Damn this one is tough as fuck to read. Talk about losing all hope.
To be honest Low is a tough read. Sometimes the water colors and art make it confusing. Sometimes the story sucks out so much hope you feel awful. Sometimes...sometimes...
I dunno sometimes it's just not "enjoyable" to read cause it's real. Because the things happening in here are sickening or fucked up. Or because the "good guys" aren't always good, don't always live, people die for no reason. This is life in a reflection and betrayal is sadly a big part of most people's life. This is no different, and to me is thrilling to read.
This volume ALSO deals with getting to the surface. A happy chapter turns dark quickly and by the end I was left with shock and sadness. Wonderfully put together yet sad as fuck, and I can't say it enough, I felt the hope leaving my mind when reading this.
Saying that this series evokes a lot of emotion from me and can't wait to read the next volume.
Old Review 2017: Damn this one is tough as fuck to read. Talk about losing all hope.
To be honest Low is a tough read. Sometimes the water colors and art make it confusing. Sometimes the story sucks out so much hope you feel awful. Sometimes...sometimes...
I dunno sometimes it's just not "enjoyable" to read cause it's real. Because the things happening in here are sickening or fucked up. Or because the "good guys" aren't always good, don't always live, people die for no reason. This is life in a reflection and betrayal is sadly a big part of most people's life. This is no different, and to me is thrilling to read.
This volume ALSO deals with getting to the surface. A happy chapter turns dark quickly and by the end I was left with shock and sadness. Wonderfully put together yet sad as fuck, and I can't say it enough, I felt the hope leaving my mind when reading this.
Saying that this series evokes a lot of emotion from me and can't wait to read the next volume.
March 22, 2017
Well I finally read a volume of Low I enjoyed (3.5 stars worth) and read excitedly. I'm thinking, with my Preacher experience, that I'll like this series when I can reread several volumes at once and see the larger story arc. Because Remender really is becoming one of my favorite authors.
For me it's the story that's fascinating, the sci-fi thriller, but everything else suffers. I've read a few thousand pages of Remender now and this isn't his best work. Characterization, dialog, all need some work. I can't pinpoint what it is exactly other than that. The plot isn't even that big compared to Fear Agent. I dunno. But it's what the characters do, looking for a new world, trying to reunite, that kept me reading.
Greg Tocchini and Dave McCaig finally grew on me this volume with illustrations and colors. It's still muddy sometimes, that's just the nature of watercolor, but damn, some of this stuff is beautiful, and the colors are insane. Like whole chapters in yellow or red. You really are immersed in the world building.
So not Remender's best work, but it's totally worth a read (and reread). I will say that the artwork is awesome and will look incredible oversized.
For me it's the story that's fascinating, the sci-fi thriller, but everything else suffers. I've read a few thousand pages of Remender now and this isn't his best work. Characterization, dialog, all need some work. I can't pinpoint what it is exactly other than that. The plot isn't even that big compared to Fear Agent. I dunno. But it's what the characters do, looking for a new world, trying to reunite, that kept me reading.
Greg Tocchini and Dave McCaig finally grew on me this volume with illustrations and colors. It's still muddy sometimes, that's just the nature of watercolor, but damn, some of this stuff is beautiful, and the colors are insane. Like whole chapters in yellow or red. You really are immersed in the world building.
So not Remender's best work, but it's totally worth a read (and reread). I will say that the artwork is awesome and will look incredible oversized.
March 16, 2018
Yeah I was expecting this gut punch but damn…
World: The art is beautiful and creative, the art is sometimes a bit scratchy but overall this book is gorgeous and the world building done through the art is fantastic. The world building this arc is good because we get a new place to see and once again Remender is effortless in giving this world for us to see, it’s presented to us as is and readers just dive in head first. There is no info dumping there is no long explanation of the whys of the world, simply the is of the world. Fantastic.
Story: I was expecting this to be a gut punch because stories are framed this way and this is exactly what I got. The pacing is fantastic the things that happen are surprisingly character driven making this the best type of turn I was expecting. The time we spent simply with the internal struggles of the character is real and very well done. I love once again how this is simply a manifestation of hope and hopelessness and how this story plays out very much melodramatic and viscerally for a hard hitting and very brutal read. There is a lot that can be discussed at the end of each arc for this series and that’s because of the huge and large metaphors Remender uses throughout the series.
Characters: Della and Tajo get a huge chunk of development and it’s not what you expected. It’s a great discussion point of how people react when they’ve been put into a hopeless environment for extended periods of time, the emotions the feelings and the ideas that develop and weed their way into a person. This is that in a very raw and visceral form and it’s fantastic. Stel once again is the manifestation of hope and how she goes through this arc was pretty fantastic, much like how people suffering from depression or just dealing with the jaded world in general would feel the pressures pushing back (as I said, there’s a lot that can be talked about here). These characters are more than they are because of what they represent.
A gut punch of a third arc and not an unexpected one, but wow is this series fun!
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is beautiful and creative, the art is sometimes a bit scratchy but overall this book is gorgeous and the world building done through the art is fantastic. The world building this arc is good because we get a new place to see and once again Remender is effortless in giving this world for us to see, it’s presented to us as is and readers just dive in head first. There is no info dumping there is no long explanation of the whys of the world, simply the is of the world. Fantastic.
Story: I was expecting this to be a gut punch because stories are framed this way and this is exactly what I got. The pacing is fantastic the things that happen are surprisingly character driven making this the best type of turn I was expecting. The time we spent simply with the internal struggles of the character is real and very well done. I love once again how this is simply a manifestation of hope and hopelessness and how this story plays out very much melodramatic and viscerally for a hard hitting and very brutal read. There is a lot that can be discussed at the end of each arc for this series and that’s because of the huge and large metaphors Remender uses throughout the series.
Characters: Della and Tajo get a huge chunk of development and it’s not what you expected. It’s a great discussion point of how people react when they’ve been put into a hopeless environment for extended periods of time, the emotions the feelings and the ideas that develop and weed their way into a person. This is that in a very raw and visceral form and it’s fantastic. Stel once again is the manifestation of hope and how she goes through this arc was pretty fantastic, much like how people suffering from depression or just dealing with the jaded world in general would feel the pressures pushing back (as I said, there’s a lot that can be talked about here). These characters are more than they are because of what they represent.
A gut punch of a third arc and not an unexpected one, but wow is this series fun!
Onward to the next book!
October 20, 2016
As much I enjoyed the watercolor art and the story (albeit sometimes quite hard to follow) of the first two Low volumes, this one lost me on the storytelling front almost completely. It is still beautifully drawn but perhaps the effort to continue suspension of disbelief exhausted me.
October 6, 2016
I dunno, it may be because I read volume 2 six months ago and have forgotten a lot about it by now (I mean, I've read over 300 things this year, and most of them have been comics), but regardless of the reason, I thought this wasn't that good. To be honest, I skimmed through some parts of it that I found to be too boring.
I don't think I will be continuing with this series anymore.
I don't think I will be continuing with this series anymore.
February 1, 2022
Good story. Great art. Fabulous colours. Worth re-reading.
November 28, 2023
4.5 Stars
This series has earned its namesake. Impossibly, after everything this family has been through have reached a new low and it's safe to say Remender has his hooks in me going forward. His best work since I first read Deadly Class hasn't appealed to me this much well there is also Seven to Eternity which slaps with the best of them. Alas Despite me loving his work for some reason I skipped over this series. Once you get past the inaccessible art work you will soon realize how beautiful the world Tocchini has crafted, and I promise it will get easier past volume 1. This is a truly amazing series that deserves more acclaim
This series has earned its namesake. Impossibly, after everything this family has been through have reached a new low and it's safe to say Remender has his hooks in me going forward. His best work since I first read Deadly Class hasn't appealed to me this much well there is also Seven to Eternity which slaps with the best of them. Alas Despite me loving his work for some reason I skipped over this series. Once you get past the inaccessible art work you will soon realize how beautiful the world Tocchini has crafted, and I promise it will get easier past volume 1. This is a truly amazing series that deserves more acclaim
January 16, 2018
Remender has created a storyline that keeps no one safe and I have this volume as the best of the series yet. The unpredictability keeps you on the edge of your toes while the characters continue to grow and build with each new arc. I'm eager to hunt down volume 4 as I think the series has limited room to develop and is very close to the conclusion. What starts off as a so so storyline, quickly grew into something great.
May 9, 2017
*This title contains explicit/graphic content that may not be suitable for all readers.
I am generally very good at avoiding spoilers and will keep this brief since it is the conclusion of my time with Low for now. However, to err on the side of caution you might skip this final review if you have not began the series and intend to.
I am not sure how to go about this review to be honest. I do not want anything I say here to negatively affect anyone’s decision to read this series. I love Low! From volume 1-3 it has delivered a satisfying story that scratched my sci-fi itch in the best of ways. The watercolor artwork has continually delivered an engaging experience that pairs exceptionally well with the post apocalyptic setting. As I have mentioned, it presents an almost nostalgic air.
I normally include a few shots of the art and illustration at this point in my review. However, I feel that I am unable to do so with this volume as it might lead to potential spoilers.
I do admit that I have a few minor concerns at this point:
We have hit a more depressing and desperate part of the plot that makes this volume a tougher read (not necessarily bad, but some might find it harder to appreciate).
Character development feels as though it has stalled to a degree.
I have some trepidation in regards to possible conclusions.
I can find no clear date on the possible release of volume 4. I believe that the next 4 issues of the comic shall be released by mid June, so I am hoping a new volume will follow at that time.
Positive elements of note:
Remender continues to expand on this immersive, aquatic setting which feels truly unlimited and without bounds.
We are exposed to an endless supply of new and interesting species that provide even more depth and richness to the story arc.
The potential is wide open for Stel Cain, our devoted optimist. She pushes onward and remains a beautiful and courageous heroine that is easy to admire and follow.
Low remains an effortless recommendation for fans of sci-fi and dystopian reads. Visually pleasing and atmospheric, it truly has a lot to offer. It easily commands attention and leaves the reader wanting more. Which is unfortunately the case, as I sit impatiently awaiting the next and possibly final installment.
You may also find my review on Books, Vertigo and Tea.
I am generally very good at avoiding spoilers and will keep this brief since it is the conclusion of my time with Low for now. However, to err on the side of caution you might skip this final review if you have not began the series and intend to.
I am not sure how to go about this review to be honest. I do not want anything I say here to negatively affect anyone’s decision to read this series. I love Low! From volume 1-3 it has delivered a satisfying story that scratched my sci-fi itch in the best of ways. The watercolor artwork has continually delivered an engaging experience that pairs exceptionally well with the post apocalyptic setting. As I have mentioned, it presents an almost nostalgic air.
I normally include a few shots of the art and illustration at this point in my review. However, I feel that I am unable to do so with this volume as it might lead to potential spoilers.
I do admit that I have a few minor concerns at this point:
We have hit a more depressing and desperate part of the plot that makes this volume a tougher read (not necessarily bad, but some might find it harder to appreciate).
Character development feels as though it has stalled to a degree.
I have some trepidation in regards to possible conclusions.
I can find no clear date on the possible release of volume 4. I believe that the next 4 issues of the comic shall be released by mid June, so I am hoping a new volume will follow at that time.
Positive elements of note:
Remender continues to expand on this immersive, aquatic setting which feels truly unlimited and without bounds.
We are exposed to an endless supply of new and interesting species that provide even more depth and richness to the story arc.
The potential is wide open for Stel Cain, our devoted optimist. She pushes onward and remains a beautiful and courageous heroine that is easy to admire and follow.
Low remains an effortless recommendation for fans of sci-fi and dystopian reads. Visually pleasing and atmospheric, it truly has a lot to offer. It easily commands attention and leaves the reader wanting more. Which is unfortunately the case, as I sit impatiently awaiting the next and possibly final installment.
You may also find my review on Books, Vertigo and Tea.
May 24, 2018
I thought this one was the strongest one yet. The story developed very well as we reach yhe surface. We discover crazy things have been happening but just as things seem happy it turns depressing and nasty. Definitely continuing this now.
October 8, 2016
I remain impressed by a story that never leaves Earth but feels far more Alien than other tales set in galaxies far, far way.
Volume 3 didn't seem to carry the story forward as efficiently as the previous volumes, but the Art is still great and I am still hooked. Perhaps it will function better when combined with a not yet available Vol. 4. Stel and her daughters are in great peril, along with their version of a future Earth.
Volume 3 didn't seem to carry the story forward as efficiently as the previous volumes, but the Art is still great and I am still hooked. Perhaps it will function better when combined with a not yet available Vol. 4. Stel and her daughters are in great peril, along with their version of a future Earth.
December 2, 2016
The hard-to-parse problem returns in force; the power armor and mini-submarines look like clusters of balloons, can't tell which is which and where one stops and the other begins. Great colors though.
The plot takes a hard left turn and I have no idea yet what to make of it. Going with a mediocre rating because I can't decide if I like where this is headed. I think Low's quality is ultimately going to hinge on its ending.
Plot points (and spoilers):
The plot takes a hard left turn and I have no idea yet what to make of it. Going with a mediocre rating because I can't decide if I like where this is headed. I think Low's quality is ultimately going to hinge on its ending.
Plot points (and spoilers):
April 4, 2025
Low, Vol. 3 keeps the momentum of the series going with more striking artwork and a cool story continuation. The volumes roll seamlessly from one to the other. In this volume, as Stel heads above water, her two daughters battle with forces of underwater tyranny and personal betrayal, pushing all three to their limits.
The world is brutal, but there's still that glimmer of hope running through it all. I’m loving the pace and emotional stakes—can’t wait to dive into Volume 4.
The world is brutal, but there's still that glimmer of hope running through it all. I’m loving the pace and emotional stakes—can’t wait to dive into Volume 4.
October 7, 2023
What an ending! After that it’s getting difficult to hold out “hope”. Great read!
December 14, 2016
Well, that is some serious shit. Are they going to be coming out with any more issues of this? Is this the end? I can't tell if this is really the end. Is that seriously what happens. That's some serious shit. I give it 3 stars because the art is still too glorious for my life, but it really deserves 2 because what was the ACTUAL point of such a visually stunning showpiece with a science-fiction plot not conventionally explored, loaded with every waypoint and plot line that would ensure its masterful success, only for it to END IN ACTUAL SHIT?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2021
The best one yet. Tajo gets a much better and less misogynistic redesign. There is a bit more time to think and breathe between the action and some more world building. Still it is not without it's issues. I especially do not like the male pirate character who is such a stereotype of a masculine character who has done some terrible stuff and seeks to gain redemption by doing a bunch of violence, which the lead character is not able to. Also where did the mermaid go? (I am genuinely confused, but suppose she went back into the sea)
May 16, 2018
This is getting to a better part now. The background art is still the best part of the art, but now the story is picking up.
The characters are being drawn better now as well. Maybe the artist just needed some time to get used to drawing them??
It will be interesting to see what happens with the probe, and Della. Whose side is she really on?
The characters are being drawn better now as well. Maybe the artist just needed some time to get used to drawing them??
It will be interesting to see what happens with the probe, and Della. Whose side is she really on?
August 29, 2016
Getting rather confusing, and also quite depressing. I'll keep going through the next TPB, but someone better survive!
November 1, 2016
As the sagging star ratings suggest, my expectations for this series continue to sink lower and lower.
April 29, 2018
Well, that was a wild ride. I'm glad I picked this series up again!
September 28, 2021
As our characters move towards actually achieving their goals, their hopes are crushed by unforeseen events.
I feel like up till now, Rick Remender has been writing this book about this depressing life and how everything is so fucked up, and using the main character Stel, as a light that cuts through all that darkness. So Remender has to force himself to be positive to make this character come to life, even if the world around him is "easier" for him to write because he generally writes very dark stories. However in this one he sets up these hopeful scenarios, then lets the darkness take over.
First the two daughters trust the wrong person and one ends up dying and the other doesn't care. I really like this side story that is running parallel to Stel's story, as its very much linked to her and seems like it will tie in before the book is done. It's also interesting because while Stel fights against the darkness that is her world, they are very much a part of it. So they react to things different and have their own way of going about their goals. But the main story with Stel is heartbreaking because, This really felt like Remender letting his negativity take full control of the story at the end in order to hit us with the gut punch. Great writing by Remender.
I also appreciated that the art by Greg Toccini felt a lot more structured. It wasn't so loose and sketchy as the previous volumes. He reigns it in enough for us to really understand and follow the story, but without sacrificing his style. This is probably my favorite volume of Low art-wise.
A good volume, that pulls the rug from under our feet. Recommended for fans of stories with a dark undertone.
I feel like up till now, Rick Remender has been writing this book about this depressing life and how everything is so fucked up, and using the main character Stel, as a light that cuts through all that darkness. So Remender has to force himself to be positive to make this character come to life, even if the world around him is "easier" for him to write because he generally writes very dark stories. However in this one he sets up these hopeful scenarios, then lets the darkness take over.
First the two daughters trust the wrong person and one ends up dying and the other doesn't care. I really like this side story that is running parallel to Stel's story, as its very much linked to her and seems like it will tie in before the book is done. It's also interesting because while Stel fights against the darkness that is her world, they are very much a part of it. So they react to things different and have their own way of going about their goals. But the main story with Stel is heartbreaking because, This really felt like Remender letting his negativity take full control of the story at the end in order to hit us with the gut punch. Great writing by Remender.
I also appreciated that the art by Greg Toccini felt a lot more structured. It wasn't so loose and sketchy as the previous volumes. He reigns it in enough for us to really understand and follow the story, but without sacrificing his style. This is probably my favorite volume of Low art-wise.
A good volume, that pulls the rug from under our feet. Recommended for fans of stories with a dark undertone.
July 30, 2022
Série qui progresse avec toujours beaucoup d'inventivité.
Le dessin baisse un peu.
Le dessin baisse un peu.
March 31, 2024
Though this volume had some strong moments, the stretches of bad art really pulled me out of the experience. I am quite curious about volume 4 though, considering how this one ended.
Read
March 20, 2017Once again a new volume means a new location, this time the scorched and monster-haunted surface of the far future Earth. And the theme of the series - the difficult necessity or culpable foolishness of hanging on to hope in hopeless situations - isn't getting any easier on anyone. The Tocchini art is gorgeously strange, and it's Remender's best writing in ages, but this is still a hard read, albeit deliberately so.
March 14, 2017
Starve the world of hope and see what you get. As oxygen depletes on a dying Earth, the matriarch of a family, one that's fallen apart forever across the remaining underworld societies, makes it to the surface and aims to still keep going. But given that mankind hasn't been above water for eons, she's not used to the chaos and creatures that now call it home. But she plans to keep going, to make it to a new world in the stars. This thing is still a soulful meditation on what hope can mean if you keep it in strong supply.
June 7, 2024
It went from fucked up to super fucked up in no time and hell, I dig it.
March 5, 2017
For a comic all about how you shape your life by your positive outlook, this is one depressing story. It continues to be a little hard to follow at times, due to the generally beautiful, though not always clear, painted (watercolor) artwork by Greg Tocchini. Stel finally gets above the water to the remnants of the dying Earth above, and it is a weird and wonderful place, inhabited by rat people and wasp people, who seem to be at war with each other. Meanwhile, in the dark depths, Stel's daughters continue to deal with their own personal issues, as well as betrayal in the form of their brother's ex-wife, who has come along for the ride. This isn't as strong as some of Remender's other series, but I'm still enjoying it and will be here for the next (final?) volume.
February 3, 2017
(com fotos em https://osrascunhos.com/2016/12/25/lo...)
Bastante menos centrado no optimismo extremo da mãe e num ambiente menos depressivo apesar das desgraças sucessivas, este terceiro volume abre a história a desenvolvimentos interessantes, muito para além da espécie humana.
Para quem desconhece a série, a história de Low decorre num futuro em que a combustão do Sol foi acelerada, provocando a expansão antes do está previsto. Neste seguimento a espécie humana procurou outros planetas para colonizar mas, não encontrando nenhum no curto espaço de tempo de que dispunha, enviou algumas sondas para o espaço e criou cidades no fundo dos oceanos, dentro de bolhas que permitiriam a sobrevivência até obterem resultados mais concretos da exploração.
Muitos anos depois encontramos uma família de cientistas numa das cidades mais desenvolvidas, uma linhagem que herda um escafandro especial, associado ao seu DNA, Nesta cidade os métodos de renovação do ar já não conseguem manter o oxigénio a níveis óptimos e aguarda-se, apenas, a morte lenta. Contra todas as probabilidades a mãe continua esperançada na chegada de uma sonda, mesmo quando uma das filhas é raptada por piratas para a cidade que estes controlam.
Neste terceiro volume a filha já foi encontrada e recuperada, apesar de adulta e traumatizada, mas a família está novamente separada. Enquanto a mãe se encontra na superfície com um guerreiro destemido em busca da sonda que regressou, as duas raparigas regressam à cidade para reabastecerem e carregarem o escafandro.
Pegando nas duas linhas narrativas, o aspecto visual apresenta um grande contraste. Por um lado temos cenários demasiado luminosos que representam a superfície que o sol queima sem dó, por outro o fundo dos oceanos com cidades deprimentes e monstros marinhos em cenário de tons escuros.
Estas duas vertentes vão criando um contraste interessante, até porque num dos cenários quase sentimos a claustrofobia do fundo, associada aos espaços fechados que, pelo escassear do oxigénio, se caracterizam mais pessimistas, e no outro uma liberdade esperançosa apesar da missão carregada de perigos, de contratempos e de desastres. No entanto, esta até agradável oscilação gráfica traduz-se negativamente no visual quando o par de páginas que se nos apresentam são mistas, ou seja, uma de cada cenário.
Tal como o fundo carregado de monstros estranhos, dos quais se destacam os próprios humanos, a superfície revela uma imensidão de animais adaptados à nova realidade, bem como novas espécies inteligentes que formaram as suas próprias civilizações – o homem perdeu o pedestal em que se colocava.
Se a apresentação, no primeiro volume, de um optimistmo extremo num cenário apocalíptico, catastrófico e deprimente, foi um factor interessante no início, já no segundo volume, quando o que resta se desmorona e a acção decorre lentamente, tornou-se um factor de alguma irritação.
Neste terceiro volume o desenvolvimento de novos elementos permitiu camuflar a esperança desmedida (ou pelo menos justificá-la). Por outro lado o foco em episódios secundários de acção desanuviou alguma da tensão negativa transformando-a em consequências concretas. Estes dois factores, a par com novos pontos de interesse, garantem que correrei para o quarto volume, para tentar perceber o resultado do confronto dos seres humanos com as novas espécies inteligentes.
Bastante menos centrado no optimismo extremo da mãe e num ambiente menos depressivo apesar das desgraças sucessivas, este terceiro volume abre a história a desenvolvimentos interessantes, muito para além da espécie humana.
Para quem desconhece a série, a história de Low decorre num futuro em que a combustão do Sol foi acelerada, provocando a expansão antes do está previsto. Neste seguimento a espécie humana procurou outros planetas para colonizar mas, não encontrando nenhum no curto espaço de tempo de que dispunha, enviou algumas sondas para o espaço e criou cidades no fundo dos oceanos, dentro de bolhas que permitiriam a sobrevivência até obterem resultados mais concretos da exploração.
Muitos anos depois encontramos uma família de cientistas numa das cidades mais desenvolvidas, uma linhagem que herda um escafandro especial, associado ao seu DNA, Nesta cidade os métodos de renovação do ar já não conseguem manter o oxigénio a níveis óptimos e aguarda-se, apenas, a morte lenta. Contra todas as probabilidades a mãe continua esperançada na chegada de uma sonda, mesmo quando uma das filhas é raptada por piratas para a cidade que estes controlam.
Neste terceiro volume a filha já foi encontrada e recuperada, apesar de adulta e traumatizada, mas a família está novamente separada. Enquanto a mãe se encontra na superfície com um guerreiro destemido em busca da sonda que regressou, as duas raparigas regressam à cidade para reabastecerem e carregarem o escafandro.
Pegando nas duas linhas narrativas, o aspecto visual apresenta um grande contraste. Por um lado temos cenários demasiado luminosos que representam a superfície que o sol queima sem dó, por outro o fundo dos oceanos com cidades deprimentes e monstros marinhos em cenário de tons escuros.
Estas duas vertentes vão criando um contraste interessante, até porque num dos cenários quase sentimos a claustrofobia do fundo, associada aos espaços fechados que, pelo escassear do oxigénio, se caracterizam mais pessimistas, e no outro uma liberdade esperançosa apesar da missão carregada de perigos, de contratempos e de desastres. No entanto, esta até agradável oscilação gráfica traduz-se negativamente no visual quando o par de páginas que se nos apresentam são mistas, ou seja, uma de cada cenário.
Tal como o fundo carregado de monstros estranhos, dos quais se destacam os próprios humanos, a superfície revela uma imensidão de animais adaptados à nova realidade, bem como novas espécies inteligentes que formaram as suas próprias civilizações – o homem perdeu o pedestal em que se colocava.
Se a apresentação, no primeiro volume, de um optimistmo extremo num cenário apocalíptico, catastrófico e deprimente, foi um factor interessante no início, já no segundo volume, quando o que resta se desmorona e a acção decorre lentamente, tornou-se um factor de alguma irritação.
Neste terceiro volume o desenvolvimento de novos elementos permitiu camuflar a esperança desmedida (ou pelo menos justificá-la). Por outro lado o foco em episódios secundários de acção desanuviou alguma da tensão negativa transformando-a em consequências concretas. Estes dois factores, a par com novos pontos de interesse, garantem que correrei para o quarto volume, para tentar perceber o resultado do confronto dos seres humanos com as novas espécies inteligentes.
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