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Manifest Destiny #13-18
Manifest Destiny Vol. 3
Deep in America's heartland, Lewis & Clark's expedition discovers a civilization unlike any they—or anyone else on Earth—has encountered. An encounter that will push their men to the brink of mutiny, and redefines the relationship between man and monster, predator and prey.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2015
About the author
Chris Dingess
72 books34 followersChris Dingess is the writer and creator of Manifest Destiny published by the Skybound imprint of Image Comics. He also served as Executive Producer and writer for ABC's Agent Carter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
January 17, 2020
Whoa! This is worth it just for the shocking cliffhanger. It has me shaking my head and the sad disregard for others that the concept of Manifest Destiny supported in real life!
Creepy, thrilling, action packed, and thought-provoking - the ultimate What-If of American Historical Fiction continues. Seems like more of a transition volume than the previous two, but still the story stays interesting – introducing new characters and new storylines. And, just when you think you know where it is going, it throws you for a loop!
I cannot get into too many details here without spoiling the story, but I really think the story had a major turn in this volume and started taking a lot more risks. That has turned this from just a fun sort of sci-fi retelling of Lewis and Clark into a thought-provoking commentary on how Americans viewed their place in the world as they took over the continent. Bringing hard truths into a graphic novel with such shocking force is pretty daring and amazing.
The artwork continues to be top notch. I just love looking at this book! From the classic look of the wild frontier to the bizarre twistedness of the creatures encountered, it is just a beautifully eye-catching adventure. I cannot remember a graphic novel that I have spent this much time looking over each page after I finished reading it.
If you like graphic novels, I still cannot recommend this one enough! Usually by volume 3 I can tell if it is going to be a winner for me. Since I cannot wait for more, this is the real deal!
Creepy, thrilling, action packed, and thought-provoking - the ultimate What-If of American Historical Fiction continues. Seems like more of a transition volume than the previous two, but still the story stays interesting – introducing new characters and new storylines. And, just when you think you know where it is going, it throws you for a loop!
I cannot get into too many details here without spoiling the story, but I really think the story had a major turn in this volume and started taking a lot more risks. That has turned this from just a fun sort of sci-fi retelling of Lewis and Clark into a thought-provoking commentary on how Americans viewed their place in the world as they took over the continent. Bringing hard truths into a graphic novel with such shocking force is pretty daring and amazing.
The artwork continues to be top notch. I just love looking at this book! From the classic look of the wild frontier to the bizarre twistedness of the creatures encountered, it is just a beautifully eye-catching adventure. I cannot remember a graphic novel that I have spent this much time looking over each page after I finished reading it.
If you like graphic novels, I still cannot recommend this one enough! Usually by volume 3 I can tell if it is going to be a winner for me. Since I cannot wait for more, this is the real deal!
November 2, 2015
Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea and the crew continue on their way into the wilderness that is the western half of 1804 America - and who’da thunk it, they discover another dang arch! Which of course only means one thing: horrible things are on the way! This time it’s a vampire bird monster called the Vameter and a group of small bear/bird hybrids called Fezrons.
I do like Manifest Destiny but, three volumes in, it’s already starting to feel formulaic in that each book is a “monster of the week” kinda deal. Volume 1 was the buffalotaurs and the plant zombies, volume 2 was the giant frog and fly monsters, volume 3 is the creatures mentioned above. The monsters are imaginative but the structure and approach to the series feels predictable.
The Fezrons are also a bit too much like… like… the Ewoks (throws up)! Cute little woodland creatures that live in forest villages, are quite primitive and are in the process of eating a human. Sounds like the goddamn Ewoks to me! Maybe you liked those annoying Star Wars teddy bears so you’ll love the Fezrons but not me. Fezrons aside, the Vameter is pretty cool. It has a stump instead of a head and places the decapitated head of its last victim on the stump and uses it like a puppet which is super-creepy and original!
It’s revealed through flashbacks that there was another expedition from three years earlier that attempted what Lewis and Clark are doing now but it’s unclear at the moment what happened to them. I guess we’ll find out in a later volume and I’m sure whatever fate they met won’t be good! There are also some flashbacks to Sacagawea’s harsh childhood, so there is some variety in the overall story mix but nothing exceptionally interesting or unexpected…
… Until those final few pages - wow! Of course I won’t say what happened but it’s pretty shocking to see our main characters acting the way they do, though perhaps not so when historically considering the colonisation of America. Still, it makes Lewis and Clark that much more complex as characters. It’s a bold and very interesting choice by writer Chris Dingess.
Matthew Roberts’ art is as high quality as ever and the creature designs continue to impress, while colourist Owen Gieni’s pages remain as effervescent and lively as they’ve been throughout, bringing out the beauty and freshness of unspoiled nature with his work.
The third volume of Manifest Destiny is decent but without many surprises - it feels like the creative team has settled into a fine rhythm but aren’t doing anything to make readers terribly excited about their series. There’s enough here to entertain though and if you’ve been following the books so far you’ll find it’s a perfectly adequate read.
I do like Manifest Destiny but, three volumes in, it’s already starting to feel formulaic in that each book is a “monster of the week” kinda deal. Volume 1 was the buffalotaurs and the plant zombies, volume 2 was the giant frog and fly monsters, volume 3 is the creatures mentioned above. The monsters are imaginative but the structure and approach to the series feels predictable.
The Fezrons are also a bit too much like… like… the Ewoks (throws up)! Cute little woodland creatures that live in forest villages, are quite primitive and are in the process of eating a human. Sounds like the goddamn Ewoks to me! Maybe you liked those annoying Star Wars teddy bears so you’ll love the Fezrons but not me. Fezrons aside, the Vameter is pretty cool. It has a stump instead of a head and places the decapitated head of its last victim on the stump and uses it like a puppet which is super-creepy and original!
It’s revealed through flashbacks that there was another expedition from three years earlier that attempted what Lewis and Clark are doing now but it’s unclear at the moment what happened to them. I guess we’ll find out in a later volume and I’m sure whatever fate they met won’t be good! There are also some flashbacks to Sacagawea’s harsh childhood, so there is some variety in the overall story mix but nothing exceptionally interesting or unexpected…
… Until those final few pages - wow! Of course I won’t say what happened but it’s pretty shocking to see our main characters acting the way they do, though perhaps not so when historically considering the colonisation of America. Still, it makes Lewis and Clark that much more complex as characters. It’s a bold and very interesting choice by writer Chris Dingess.
Matthew Roberts’ art is as high quality as ever and the creature designs continue to impress, while colourist Owen Gieni’s pages remain as effervescent and lively as they’ve been throughout, bringing out the beauty and freshness of unspoiled nature with his work.
The third volume of Manifest Destiny is decent but without many surprises - it feels like the creative team has settled into a fine rhythm but aren’t doing anything to make readers terribly excited about their series. There’s enough here to entertain though and if you’ve been following the books so far you’ll find it’s a perfectly adequate read.
May 23, 2019
This series continues to impress. Lewis and Clark continue thier fantasy adventure in the West where they fight creepy monsters. Here they come across these bird / Ewok things and fight Jeepers Creepers. 
Hopefully, we'll begin to find out the deal with these arches and where all these monsters came from soon. Yowsa, that ending was surprising. Matthew Roberts's monster designs are fantastic (even if the vampere is a complete ripoff of Jeepers Creepers). Owen Gieni's coloring gives vivid life to these monsters.
Hopefully, we'll begin to find out the deal with these arches and where all these monsters came from soon. Yowsa, that ending was surprising. Matthew Roberts's monster designs are fantastic (even if the vampere is a complete ripoff of Jeepers Creepers). Owen Gieni's coloring gives vivid life to these monsters.
August 21, 2020
SUPER FAST REVIEW:
Okay I’m kinda annoyed now. Like... what the fuck was this? I loved the first 2 volumes but then I read this volume.
So, okay, maybe I’m just being a bit harsh since I loved the first 2 volumes so much. This does still include some fantastic artwork. I also found the story to still be somewhat interesting and towards the end there’s some good bits of action and gore. Oh and don’t forget the suspense, it is very unpredictable.
Unfortunately for most of the volume it’s very slow. There’s a lot of filler in the form of uninteresting and in all honesty just kinda stupid flashbacks. The quality horror content I expected in this volume is replaced by these rather silly that felt more like so-so comic relief than anything else which is very disappointing. The ending made the whole volume feel pointless.
Overall I’m disappointed. I loved the first 2 volumes and even declared this series a “must-read” for horror fans. I take that back. I really didn’t like the third installment of this series. I might read more at some point but am not as eager to recommend this series to anyone.
2/5
Okay I’m kinda annoyed now. Like... what the fuck was this? I loved the first 2 volumes but then I read this volume.
So, okay, maybe I’m just being a bit harsh since I loved the first 2 volumes so much. This does still include some fantastic artwork. I also found the story to still be somewhat interesting and towards the end there’s some good bits of action and gore. Oh and don’t forget the suspense, it is very unpredictable.
Unfortunately for most of the volume it’s very slow. There’s a lot of filler in the form of uninteresting and in all honesty just kinda stupid flashbacks. The quality horror content I expected in this volume is replaced by these rather silly that felt more like so-so comic relief than anything else which is very disappointing. The ending made the whole volume feel pointless.
Overall I’m disappointed. I loved the first 2 volumes and even declared this series a “must-read” for horror fans. I take that back. I really didn’t like the third installment of this series. I might read more at some point but am not as eager to recommend this series to anyone.
2/5
August 3, 2020
I thought the creatures in this story were a bit gimmicky but the ending was brutal. Amazing art work as always.
August 5, 2021
This started off a bit slow and took a turn that seemed a bit silly at the midpoint, but the ending made up for all of that. It raises a very interesting question: is man just another one of the monsters in a world of monsters?
February 16, 2025
Well, thanks for complete sadness brought to my heart with that last issue. That was unnecessary..
March 24, 2017
Volume 3 finally takes the leap that I was hoping this series would take into stranger and darker territories. This one was pretty great.
February 8, 2026
I thought the Fezron would be a bit too cute or silly but they totally went the Ewok route. They appear so cuddly but are actually amazingly violent beasts that have no problem eating flesh or killing.
The conclusion, the decimation of these creatures, really hit me. I was leaving this collection a bit underwhelmed but my god, what a haunting end.
The conclusion, the decimation of these creatures, really hit me. I was leaving this collection a bit underwhelmed but my god, what a haunting end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2023
Was not a fan of a few of the plot points, especially toward the middle. Last few pages made this volume for me. Horrifyingly poignant metaphor to some of darkest days of the United States.
March 17, 2018
Hui, Dingess steigert Spannung und Charakterentwicklung. Das Ende hatte es in sich und bringt auch für den Leser einen Perspektivenwechsel.
April 2, 2017
The road to destruction is paved with good intentions. The Lewis and Clark Expedition is on a hell bent course and as a cautionary tale of the ramifications of colonialism, this tale is truly doomed as is the expedition. Just close your eyes and enjoy the ride.
June 10, 2019
Manifest Destiny meets Jeepers Creepers and channels Andrew Jackson on a sapient species of humanoid bird. Odin's taint, this got dark. O_O
But good. It was appropriate. The American frontier period was vile as well as heroic and good on Dingess for capturing that.
But good. It was appropriate. The American frontier period was vile as well as heroic and good on Dingess for capturing that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2017
This series keeps taking it up a notch. This volume is no exception - each volume they face a terrifying predator, and this one is no exception. Great art and constant moral ambiguity round it out - incredible.
February 27, 2021
Compelling! Maybe slightly less graphic and visceral than the first two. More backstory given, which was very interesting and disturbing. I didn't expect this volume to hit me in the feels but it did...
Read
December 15, 2016Initially this reads like a fairly straight progression from the first two volumes, with the increasingly fraught personnel of Lewis and Clark’s expedition edging ever close to mutiny at the prospect of investigating another ominous archway, even before the inevitable weird monster attacks. And then things get stranger. And by the end… I suspect this is going to be a very different book from here on out.
March 13, 2016
Lewis and Clark continue on their sci-fi fantasy adventure, this time meeting the bird-bears. I am still enjoying this series, I think the art is colorful and the stories are interesting. Lewis is getting a little frayed in his emotinal state trying to calm the crew since they are not keen on getting killed one way or another. The main story revolves around the small blue bird they meet that are getting terrorized my a Vameter, something that resemble a vampire that steals heads. the side stories are still fun with sacagawea and the rebellious crew. I find the focus on the crew is really well done and interesting. overall a great series that 1 part history and 1 part fantasy.
February 13, 2019
Another gruesome adventure into the alternative history of Lewis and Clark. The artwork continues to be gorgeous and gross all at the same time. 😂 The ending was disheartening, but honestly not the least bit a far cry from the true dark history of the founding and expansion of the USA. The introduction of each bizarre creature in every volume is my favorite part of this series and so
September 11, 2020
For volume 3, Lewis and Clark and the gang meet up with some flying creatures. This seems to be heading in the same formulaic direction as the rest, with our heroes needing to wipe out more hostile monsters, but the little blue Fezron are a bit different once you get to know them. For one, they talk, and conveniently they speak English, though it’s not called that.
The dangerous being is the Vameter, another flyer, and it is a wicked one indeed, leading to some tense moments at the end. The ending takes this volume over the top - what a devastating conclusion.
The dangerous being is the Vameter, another flyer, and it is a wicked one indeed, leading to some tense moments at the end. The ending takes this volume over the top - what a devastating conclusion.
December 1, 2023
Not as good as the previous volume, but still very engaging. Lewis, Clark, and friends encounter a new civilisation and a face-stealing monster that's going to haunt my nightmares all while Sacagawea is out of action and unable to help (or stop) them. The last few pages of the final issue are particularly harrowing, and remind us of that old trope of "the protagonist isn't necessarily a good guy."
March 19, 2026
Alright this was amazing. Super dark and shocking. But this is where the hook had to go. No way can we take a book called manifest destiny and parade these guys around as noble heroes.
February 2, 2026
8.5/10
February 21, 2016
I read volume 2 of this series and I have been chomping at the bit waiting for this volume to be released. The wait was well worth it.
Matthew Roberts continues to deliver some outstanding art. There really aren't any new characters in this issue, other than a few flashbacks, so there isn't really anything new brought to the table in terms of clothing. The setting is different, but other than the boat and the arch in this issue, everything else is a forest setting. There aren't any new buildings. The monsters continue to be the best thing about the series. In this volume, there are a tribe of Fezrons. These little forest creatures are a cross between birds and bears. They stand up on their hind legs like bear cubs and have the teeth of bears, but everything else is birdlike including blue feathers, a beak, and talons. The other creature is called the Vameter. I'm not gonna give anything about this creature away other than to say it is one of the most unique creatures I've ever seen. Its look is right up there with The Stalk from Saga in terms of strangeness. The art continues to be 5 stars.
Chris Dingess continues to deliver in terms of writing. He comes up with even more bizarre situations for his cast each volume and somehow one-ups the volume before. We get filled in on bits of backstory for both Collins and Sacagawea in this book. We also get a glimpse of another expedition, but the wow factors all come in the present and the things that happen to the group of explorers. The end of the book has the darkest moment in the series so far. Writing is superb as always even if it is becoming somewhat formulaic in that there are two monster types and a new arch in each arc. Dingess gets a 5 star score as well.
I love this series and it is up there with East of West and Wicked + Divine in terms of overall quality. Those are my 3 favorite comic series currently being released. Now I just have to wait another 6-8 months for the next volume.
Matthew Roberts continues to deliver some outstanding art. There really aren't any new characters in this issue, other than a few flashbacks, so there isn't really anything new brought to the table in terms of clothing. The setting is different, but other than the boat and the arch in this issue, everything else is a forest setting. There aren't any new buildings. The monsters continue to be the best thing about the series. In this volume, there are a tribe of Fezrons. These little forest creatures are a cross between birds and bears. They stand up on their hind legs like bear cubs and have the teeth of bears, but everything else is birdlike including blue feathers, a beak, and talons. The other creature is called the Vameter. I'm not gonna give anything about this creature away other than to say it is one of the most unique creatures I've ever seen. Its look is right up there with The Stalk from Saga in terms of strangeness. The art continues to be 5 stars.
Chris Dingess continues to deliver in terms of writing. He comes up with even more bizarre situations for his cast each volume and somehow one-ups the volume before. We get filled in on bits of backstory for both Collins and Sacagawea in this book. We also get a glimpse of another expedition, but the wow factors all come in the present and the things that happen to the group of explorers. The end of the book has the darkest moment in the series so far. Writing is superb as always even if it is becoming somewhat formulaic in that there are two monster types and a new arch in each arc. Dingess gets a 5 star score as well.
I love this series and it is up there with East of West and Wicked + Divine in terms of overall quality. Those are my 3 favorite comic series currently being released. Now I just have to wait another 6-8 months for the next volume.
April 26, 2016
I'm growing more and more uncomfortable with how this series depicts indigeneity. If you know anything about race history in the US, you have to know that depicting indigenous people as part animal or giving animals cultural markers of indigenous people is a no-win situation. In issue two, there were actual minotaur indians; hear, the bird/bear creatures are tribal (the chief wears a feather headdress for chrissake), cannibals, and drunkards. It's a mostly fun and interesting storyline, but it's also glaringly tone deaf.
June 10, 2016
Third volume in the series. The main "monster" in this volume seems to be the bird version of an Ewok. Some of the characters seem less complex and more stereotypical and almost drawn more for comedic effect. I was going to give this a 3 star rating up until the last 4 pages - when the story turns very dark indeed. The question of who the real monsters are becomes increasingly clear. And it's not an accident that as the monsters become more human-like the humans become more monster-like. Looking forward tot he next volume in the series...
April 20, 2022
Disturbing, bloody, ahistorical, and yet some how I could not put it down... crazy weird book but fun, excited to read the next one, not sure I recommend but I did enjoy it.
Second time through: still very good
Second time through: still very good
June 19, 2016
Wow. I get it... and yet I'm not sure why I should care about the vast majority of these characters now... but yeah... it is called Manifest Destiny afterall right?
January 13, 2020
Enjoying the series.
April 5, 2026
4½/5 stars excellent continuation
Manifest Destiny continues to be a fun and thoughtful journey. This book sees our characters, members of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition, encounter more unusual creatures as they continue their travels out west. This time, they are shocked to discover an intelligent species, though things get pretty complicated before they get better.
There was a lot of development in this book for the side characters: we get a bit of a peek at Sacagawea's background— something I'm looking forward to seeing more of, as she is among the most interesting characters, both in this fictional version and in real life!— and the story of how the boy Collins, who has seemed a decent sort, ended up a convict.
As with the first two volumes, the narrative is driven not just through action, but also through Lewis's thoughtful musings on their adventures. In this volume, even more so than the others, we take more of a look at morality— although I would say morality/the sometimes extremely blurred line between right and wrong is a running theme of this story.
Once again the art stands out, as well. Landscapes both familiar and fantastic are rendered in bright, beautifully vivid colors. One thing I love is the detail drawn into every panel. I have read a few graphic novels in which the artists did not render the backgrounds with much detail, making them often just a vague blur or mixture of colors. That is not the case here at all. Every panel is stuffed with detail, from the individual leaves on the trees to the feathers and muscle patterns of the animals the expedition encounters.
Another way the art in Manifest Destiny excels has to do with the nuanced portrayal of the human characters. Each individual is easily distinguishable from the rest, and while that seems like something that should be true in all GN, sadly it is not. I have read a few books in which it was difficult to keep the characters straight because they look so similar. That is not the case here. Not only are they easily recognizable and consistently rendered, but they all have different personalities, and the artists have done a great job portraying their emotions through facial expressions and body language.
Overall, this series is a great winner. I love the fantastic elements and how well they're blended with the historical aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. I can't wait to see what happens next! Highly recommended for lovers of GN, history or alternate history, historical fantasy, good story telling and/or fantastic creatures! 4½/5 stars
Manifest Destiny continues to be a fun and thoughtful journey. This book sees our characters, members of the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition, encounter more unusual creatures as they continue their travels out west. This time, they are shocked to discover an intelligent species, though things get pretty complicated before they get better.
There was a lot of development in this book for the side characters: we get a bit of a peek at Sacagawea's background— something I'm looking forward to seeing more of, as she is among the most interesting characters, both in this fictional version and in real life!— and the story of how the boy Collins, who has seemed a decent sort, ended up a convict.
As with the first two volumes, the narrative is driven not just through action, but also through Lewis's thoughtful musings on their adventures. In this volume, even more so than the others, we take more of a look at morality— although I would say morality/the sometimes extremely blurred line between right and wrong is a running theme of this story.
Once again the art stands out, as well. Landscapes both familiar and fantastic are rendered in bright, beautifully vivid colors. One thing I love is the detail drawn into every panel. I have read a few graphic novels in which the artists did not render the backgrounds with much detail, making them often just a vague blur or mixture of colors. That is not the case here at all. Every panel is stuffed with detail, from the individual leaves on the trees to the feathers and muscle patterns of the animals the expedition encounters.
Another way the art in Manifest Destiny excels has to do with the nuanced portrayal of the human characters. Each individual is easily distinguishable from the rest, and while that seems like something that should be true in all GN, sadly it is not. I have read a few books in which it was difficult to keep the characters straight because they look so similar. That is not the case here. Not only are they easily recognizable and consistently rendered, but they all have different personalities, and the artists have done a great job portraying their emotions through facial expressions and body language.
Overall, this series is a great winner. I love the fantastic elements and how well they're blended with the historical aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. I can't wait to see what happens next! Highly recommended for lovers of GN, history or alternate history, historical fantasy, good story telling and/or fantastic creatures! 4½/5 stars
March 27, 2026
My Rating: 7.5/10
There is a certain rhythm to the first two volumes of Manifest Destiny: the expedition arrives in a new stretch of wilderness, encounters a monstrous threat rooted in the local ecology, battles for survival, and moves on, changed but still pressing westward. Manifest Destiny, Vol. 3: Chiroptera & Carniformaves disrupts this pattern in significant ways, and the results are a mixed but ultimately worthwhile evolution of the series.
The volume collects issues #13 through #18 and finds the expedition deep in America's heartland, where they encounter something far different from the monstrous flora and fauna of previous volumes. Here, Lewis and Clark discover a civilization. It is a structured society of bat-like humanoids, the eponymous Chiroptera and a bat-like creatures locked in a brutal, generations-long war. The expedition is caught between these warring factions, forced to navigate complex politics and moral ambiguities rather than simply survive another monster attack. This shift from horror to something approaching science fiction or fantasy-tinged diplomacy represents a bold departure, and it is the volume's greatest strength and its greatest challenge.
The decision to introduce sentient, organized societies is a smart one for the series' long-term health. The monster-of-the-volume structure, while entertaining, risked becoming formulaic. By presenting the expedition with creatures capable of language, culture, and strategy, Dingess raises the stakes in a new way.
The thematic resonance of this volume is also more pointed than in previous installments. The title Manifest Destiny has always carried an ironic weight—the idea that American expansion was divinely ordained—but here the irony becomes explicit. Lewis and Clark arrive in a land already inhabited, already organized, already claimed by peoples with their own histories and civilizations. The expedition's mission, framed in previous volumes as the clearing of monsters for settlement, here confronts the uncomfortable reality that monsters are a matter of perspective. The volume does not abandon its horror roots but it asks harder questions about what the expedition is actually doing in this land and who has the right to decide what constitutes a threat to be eliminated.
There is a certain rhythm to the first two volumes of Manifest Destiny: the expedition arrives in a new stretch of wilderness, encounters a monstrous threat rooted in the local ecology, battles for survival, and moves on, changed but still pressing westward. Manifest Destiny, Vol. 3: Chiroptera & Carniformaves disrupts this pattern in significant ways, and the results are a mixed but ultimately worthwhile evolution of the series.
The volume collects issues #13 through #18 and finds the expedition deep in America's heartland, where they encounter something far different from the monstrous flora and fauna of previous volumes. Here, Lewis and Clark discover a civilization. It is a structured society of bat-like humanoids, the eponymous Chiroptera and a bat-like creatures locked in a brutal, generations-long war. The expedition is caught between these warring factions, forced to navigate complex politics and moral ambiguities rather than simply survive another monster attack. This shift from horror to something approaching science fiction or fantasy-tinged diplomacy represents a bold departure, and it is the volume's greatest strength and its greatest challenge.
The decision to introduce sentient, organized societies is a smart one for the series' long-term health. The monster-of-the-volume structure, while entertaining, risked becoming formulaic. By presenting the expedition with creatures capable of language, culture, and strategy, Dingess raises the stakes in a new way.
The thematic resonance of this volume is also more pointed than in previous installments. The title Manifest Destiny has always carried an ironic weight—the idea that American expansion was divinely ordained—but here the irony becomes explicit. Lewis and Clark arrive in a land already inhabited, already organized, already claimed by peoples with their own histories and civilizations. The expedition's mission, framed in previous volumes as the clearing of monsters for settlement, here confronts the uncomfortable reality that monsters are a matter of perspective. The volume does not abandon its horror roots but it asks harder questions about what the expedition is actually doing in this land and who has the right to decide what constitutes a threat to be eliminated.
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