Low: Book One

Low #1-3

by Rick Remender (Writer), Greg Tocchini (Illustrator/Colorist), Dave McCaig (Colorist)

Millennia ago, mankind fled the Earth’s surface into the bottomless depths of the darkest oceans. Shielded from a merciless sun’s scorching radiation, the human race tried to stave off certain extinction by sending robotic probes far into the galaxy to search for a new home among the stars. Generations later, one family is about to be torn apart in a conflict that will usher in the final race to save humanity from a world beyond hope. Dive into an aquatic fantasy like none you’ve ever seen before in this oversized hardcover, packed to the gills with concept art, design sketches, original script, and more hidden treasures, as writer RICK REMENDER (DEADLY CLASS, SEVEN TO ETERNITY) and artist GREG TOCCHINI (LAST DAYS OF AMERICAN CRIME) bring you a tale of mankind’s final hour in the cold, deathly dark of the sea.

Collects LOW #1-15

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Comic Book, Fiction, Fantasy, Graphic Novels Comics

440 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2017

About the author

Rick 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.

Reviews

[Roman Zarichnyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Після прочитання «Чорної науки» та «Семеро до вічності» Ріка Рімендера зупинити мене від купівлі іншого його коміксу «Дно» #1-15 в жанрах наукової фантастики та антиутопії було не можливо. Адже згадані комікси мені сподобалися сюжетом, будовою світу, героями та малюнком. Вийшов такий собі флакон, у якому збовтали все, що потрібно для того, щоби захопити мене з головою. Та ще й видавництво Lantsuta взялося видавати цю серію коміксів українською.

Тисячоліття тому людство втекло з поверхні землі в безмежні глибини найтемніших океанів, щоб уникнути високого рівня радіації. Захищена від безжального сонячного випромінювання людська раса, намагалася запобігти своєму вимиранню, посилаючи роботизовані зонди на поверхню для розуміння чи змінилася ситуація там. Чи можливо зонди узагалі допоможуть знайти іншу планету придатну для життя. Повітря на спеціальних базах перероблено до межі й повільно стає несвіжим і токсичним. Тому більшість людей давно втратили надію. Вони змирилися зі смертю й наповнюють своє життя будь-якими насолодами, які можуть собі дозволити — переважно наркотиками та сексом.

І все ж серед них живе оптимістка Стел Кейн, яка незважаючи на те, що світ навколо неї скотився в екзистенційний нігілізм, невпинно шукає альтернативний придатний для життя світ. І, здається, що є перші результати. Зонд запущений багато років тому, на її думку, замкнувся на орбіті навколо планети, де теоретично можна дихати без спеціальних костюмів. Але щастя в її очах не довго трималося, адже звичайне полювання для її доньок, що символізує їхнє дорослішання, перетворилося на повну трагедію. Перед Стелою тепер стоять серйозні виклики в життя: пережити трагедію, яка трапилася під час полювання, спробувати зібрати знову свою сім’ю, заручитися допомогою свого сина, який пустився берега й піддався спокусі місцевого наркотику «heavy cream» (який буквально означає «жирні вершки» в куховарстві, що є досить цікавим варіантом для українського перекладу; і ще цікавий момент, що часто герої цього коміксу вживають цей наркотик під час сексу, щоб отримати більшого задоволення й ця гра слів «жирні вершки» може мати класний прихований контекст) та переконати правління підводної бази, що потрібно відправитися в експедицію для пошуку зонда, який може врятувати людство.

Порівнюючи із «Чорною наукою» та «Семеро до вічності», цьому коміксу не вдалося мене затягнути у свій світ із головою. Звісно, стиль оповіді та побудови світу упізнається, це створив Рік Рімендер. Але за відчуттями постійно ловив себе на думці, що цього моменту захоплення так і відбулося повною мірою. Мені, справді, сподобалася передумова цієї історії. Але я б хотів, щоб було більше передісторії стану справ, у яких відбувається основна історія. Чому збереглися тільки три поселення? Що сталося з усіма людьми на поверхні? Як суспільства цих поселень розвинулися в те, чим вони є зараз? Хто ж, усе ж таки, були ті пірати, які напали під час полювання? І це я говорю про обсяг із трьох арок, які входять у це делюкс видання. Натомість після першочергової цікавості для мене герої трішки слабшали, а світовий розвиток сьогодення в коміксі міг бути більш ґрунтовним.

Також зізнаюся, що малюнок Ґреґа Токкіні не вразив мене так сильно, як я очікував. Так, деякі розвороти були прекрасними. Так, деякі кадри гарно показували події сцен. Але через те, що стиль малюнку Токкіні є трохи брудним і не завжди має чіткий контур, то при спробі роздивитися деталі на певних сценах, потрібно було достатньо так зосереджуватися. І це збивало із ритму під час читання. Згодом просто починаєш ігнорувати більшість деталей, які б хотілося роздивитися і все рухається краще.

У результаті історія є досить непоганою, і має всі шанси здивувати мене в наступних арках. Та глянемо, як воно піде. А щодо українського видання першої арки, то «Дно» є хорошим представником жанрів нф і антиутопії на нашому ринку. І якщо ви не смакували інші історії Ріка Рімендера, то все має бути гаразд.

[Blindzider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second Reading
Reread this in prep for reading the second volume. Having grappled with optimism myself, the idea of making positive thinking almost a religion and maybe even tie it to science is very intriguing. If you assume Remender has accepted this idea, the ending is a foregone conclusion, although just how you get there may not be what is expected. Updating the rating from 3 to 4 stars.

I like the ticking clock idea with the sun, and there's a race to find another planet, however it's never really explained on how they'll get there. It's sort of just left unsaid.

Still love the art, especially the covers. Some of the interior panels look distorted digitally and I'm not sure what the point of that was. Characters often looked like they were reflected in a curved mirror.


Original Review
Very interesting. Remender's main character, Stel is driven solely by optimism and it's overt, with other characters remarking and ridiculing her openly in the first few issues. It's not a new idea for a character (although apparently new to Remender) and usually wrapped up in the term 'faith'. Can optimism be inspired in others? How do you hold on to that amidst tragedy and hardship?

The story of LOW examines those questions. The double meaning title looks at what someone does when they are at their lowest point, while in a world where everyone has descended physically beLOW the surface, trying to escape intense radiation and toxicity on the surface. As you might expect when the world is coming to an end, humanity dips to the LOWest common denominator, succumbing to their base desires and abandoning all morals.

The art and coloring are stunning. Tocchini's design sense is fascinating and appropriately "dirty", mirroring what's become of society. However, at times it is a little difficult to grasp just what you are looking at. The coloring is eye-catching as well: it's usually kept to just 2-3 colors, but they are highly saturated and contrasting for effect, or complementary invoking a particular mood.

While not his best work and certainly not the most original, I'm curious to see where this is headed: if Remender will show that in the end optimism is the best state of mind or not.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it gets off to a slow start, this first volume of Low is quite intriguing, though on occasion a hard read because it's so frickin' dark.

The Delirium of Hope (#1-6). Low depicts an interesting world at the end of time where the last sparks of humanity are burning themselves out on the pyre of self gratification and debauchery. The artwork by Greg Tocchin takes this world and reveals it in beautiful, vivid, unique, and seductive color. Beyond that we get a story of family, love, and loyalty. Oh, and HOPE. I know it's about HOPE because the characters constantly say the word (and its near-cousin, OPTIMISM), to the point where it grates. Parts of the story telling feel a bit muddy and a bit slow, but this is still an intriguing adventure [3+/5].

Before the Dawn Burns Us (#7-10). Low's storytelling definitely improves in this second volume. That's in part thanks to the introduction of Della, the missing daughter, who has much more nuance than any of the family members we've met to date. But, Stel's story also gains some momentum, and hurtles forward as opposed to the long eddy of the previous volume. Overall, this is a book that I want to keep reading in a way that the first volume wasn't [4/5].

Shores of the Dying Light (#11-15). Low has definitely hit its stride in this third volume. The double-threaded story helps to maintain interest, and we've got great weirdness on the surface with Stel and great tension below the water with the daughters. There are a few shocks, some stunning cliffhangers, and some great characters. [4/5].

[Will Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent premise and interesting art let down by:

One, the male gaze.
The female characters suffer loss of their tops a lot.
The book is full of nudity and orgy scenes, to show the depths the world has sunk to, but the women are all a single shape, and a single color, in these scenes, and men are largely absent from them.
I'm not a prude, but the male gaze evident is hard to get past, the artist leers at the characters.

Two, hopelessness.
The book books itself as being about hope triumphing over depression, there is an artist forward to the original 3 volume series that says this explicitly.
But the way the arcs work out it ends up more like torture porn.

There's an ending at the end of book one, and there are threads not yet resolved, but it's not a world I want more of. I feel like on balance book one is a complete story, with some interesting world building, but I have a heavy taste in my mouth that doesn't want more.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5.... parts of this were okayish, but mostly it's just trauma conga with some annoying optimism to thrown in. The art is intolerable; I could barely tell anyone apart sometimes.

[James DeSantis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Low is a book about Hope even through all the dark shit in our lives.

It's also about everyone living underwater cause the heat from the sun turned above surface to unlivable area. A mom and her kids and husband are just trying to live their life but are attacked by pirates and their lives are changed forever. This leads a time skip 10 years later where mom has to figure out how get her family all back together.

It's about hope. It's about survival. It's about never letting the darkness over take you. Some of the art is very hard to follow at times, and sometimes, the art is extremely well done for certain shots. All worth checking out this is a great series.

[Rumi Bossche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini, and colors from the master himself, Dave McCaig.

I read the first two trades of Low years ago, and i saw the huge potential this book has. The premise is just killer, human mankind fleeing to the bottom of the sea because of the earth getting hotter and hotter and we slowly killed the planet,  and after years of living in the depths of the deepest oceans a robot probe gets back with a supposedly new inhabitible world. Again, killer premise ! But somehow i dont like it as much as other books by Remender, its starts off fantastic and with a breathtaking speed, in just a couple pages you have a believable world and story,  but the time jumps later one and the story itself are a bit messy, its hard to explain but they just dont really flow or something. The artwork from Tocchini is incredible and rich in style and different colors,  but also has a small decline nearing the end,  the hardcover from Remender's Giant Generator is very well put together and a stunning edition to the collection,  but the story has just a couple drops in quality (i think so at least) but is still decent and enjoyable. The story is also really fucking bleak.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.

[Eastham Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science fiction at its finest in the sense of the world that Remender creates with slightly above average story telling.

The true enjoyment of the story comes from the world building and the art that portrays it.

Low Book One is an easy pick up for true science fiction fans. Where most science fiction takes place with man leaving Earth, Low has Man retreating into it to escape the inhospitable conditions the surface of this future Earth holds. Multiple deep sea communities have been built, each with a culture all their own, but all with the same issue of "Time has run out" for the deep sea colonies. Nearly all hope has been lost until an ancient probe, sent out to seek a hospitable planet, has returned to Earth. Only one family has chosen to hold onto that hope, while the rest of the population has decided to simply accept the inevitable extinction of the species.

Some readers will find some plot developments "old hack" and apocalyptic staples boring (such as a gladiatorial arena), but there is still plenty of wonderful new takes in this science fiction that I truly enjoyed.

[drown_like_its_1999 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall series - I liked the premise here but I found the execution rather lacking. At first I really enjoyed the atmosphere and premise of humanity living out its last years at the bottom of the ocean before the sun consumes the world. Some parts of society run out the clock indulging in depravity, others descend into lawlessness, some seek escapism from religion. Sadly this thematic richness was largely sidelined for a contrived family action-drama about "hope conquering all" populated with bland characters, repetitive plot, and soapy writing. It's a shame because LOW is visually quite compelling and thematically works well but loses the forest for the trees.

[Melina Ashali · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I was only rating the art style of this, it would easily be a 5/5. However I felt that the characters sometimes fell a little flat. The world development could have been more thorough, and the authors often glanced over some sub plots that would've added to the overall plot. That being said, this is only a compilation of the first three volumes so I'm excited to see how they move forward from here.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Low is a graphic novel that stands out for its excellent illustration style, experimental panel layouts and compelling story. Rick Remender's Low is a novel about finding hope in the direst of situations, which unfortunately in this case is the destruction of earth as a result of the sun transforming into a supernova. Additionally, the story's themes of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity make it an inspiring and uplifting read. Overall, Low is a masterful work of storytelling that will leave readers awed by it artistry and moved by its message.

[Langley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take the concept of Hope and how belief shapes our reality, then imagine the authors forging that concept into a hammer with which they beat the reader over the head with. The book is good. Not great. It can become tiresome and repetitive. Ohhhh so and so has hope, but then they get royally fucked so they lose hope, then against all odds they regain their religion of hope. Not a ton of character development or growth going on here.

The artwork is a matter of personal preference. I prefer a little more definition, where it doesn't look like one endless water color painting, but to each their own. I will say that half the time I can't tell what the Hell is going on with some of the scenes. And there is a reoccuring theme of endless narration that spans like two pages one sentence fragment at a time. "It's almost as if ...." "the authors couldn't think ... " "of a good enough story ..." "to fill out a book."

It's not bad. But this book is a far cry from better stories such as Saga.

[Erik · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5 Stars

A prototypical example of parts not equaling the whole, Low offers glimpses of interesting concepts and intriguing settings but is ultimately undone by its repetitive narrative and its unnecessary reliance on the male gaze. The art is polarizing, at a glance unique and vivid but upon closer inspection, becomes too busy and often difficult to interpret. While I appreciate Remender's desire to present empowered female characters infused with optimism, the one dimensional and cliche characters are reductive and flat. Your own mileage may vary, but this wasn't for me.

[Will Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts that are good:
Interesting premise of the world becoming too bad to live on so everyone lives at the bottom of the ocean.
The optimism driving Stel, the protagonist.
Action sequences, no-emotion police, weird sea creatures.

The parts that are bad:
The sexism in the art! I don't think EVERY female character needs to be either topless or wearing a bikini, especially since none of the men are in skimpy clothing.
Some of the sci-fi tropes are not very original.

[Highland G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second read through before moving on to book 2. I took my time and really absorbed the tragedies and glimpses of hope throughout. I feel like I got a much darker tone out of this by reading at a slower pace but it was still very enjoyable. Art over all works for the book but there are a few panels that seem more abstract than they needed to be.
Really good book for those interested in themes of religion, hope, manifest destiny etc.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the distant future Earth's sun will start to expand creating radiation that will bake the surface of the planet. So humanity moves underwater to great domed cities. Hundreds of years in the future these cities are on their last legs. Air is becoming toxic and resources scarce. Low is the story of one family trying to survive below the surface. Stel and her husband Johl are training their children Marik, Della and Tajo for the future. Marik is becoming an engineer while Della and Tajo as the last Caines are being trained as Helmsmen. The Helm is a powerful suit that is tied to the DNA of the Caine family. Johl operates the last helm in the world. On their training trip pirates attack and kidnap Della and Tajo and kill Johl. They also take the helm leaving Stel devastated and alone.

Ten years later Stel is still mourning her family as Marik falls deeper and deeper into darkness. Then there is hope when Stel receives a notice that an ancient probe has returned to Earth hopefully with news of a habitable planet. Stel and Marik take off to find the probe and along the way rediscover Tajo and Della. Neither of them are the sweet girls they were. Tajo has been raised by the pirates. Della was sold to another dome and trained as a thought police, destroying anything that leads to hope. Not everyone survives the journey and almost all members of the family are in peril when we leave them.

I actually really enjoyed the premise of this story. I do wish there was more backstory however. Why only three domes? What happened to all the people on the surface that didn't make it into the domes? How did the societies of the domes develop into what they did? Who were the pirates? I will also admit that this was not my favorite art. Some of it was beautiful but I also had a hard time with the details and the fact that many of the characters looked so similar. I could have used a bit more definition to the art. It is a fascinating speculation as to the future of humanity. How we devolve over the millennia and how we survive.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having already reviewed these volumes separately (which now follow), it was good to get all three volumes together to make more sense of the story.

Volume 1: Science-fiction comic collection about the end of a Sun

This comic collection deals with one woman (Stel Caine)’s attempts to find a new world for the people of Salus. She has a husband, a son and two daughters who hunt to keep the city going. When her family are captured by the Scurvies (pirates), it is her goal to rescue them. She encounters all sorts on her quest which she follows virtually unaided by anybody

It is very colourful and the drawings are original, detailed and well-conceived although not always clear. There’s plenty of violence, sex, nudity and unsavoury language as well.

Quite good stuff.

Volume 2 : Totalitarian regime faces rebellion in science fiction follow-up

This comic collection deals with attempts to suppress hope and unacceptable thought in a world ruled by a Ministry of Thought.

Stel Caine’s adventures continue, meeting different types of people and races as she tries to make sense of her world. Flashbacks show us what happened to her children and how they are reunited.

It is very colourful and the drawings are original, detailed and well-conceived although not always clear. There’s plenty of violence, including underwater vampires!

Volume 3: More adventures with the Caine family members

The Caine sisters continue their journey and meet double-crossing along the way while Stel reaches the surface and discovers various races at war with each other. The plot thickens yet again as new characters enter the storyline and the volume ends on another cliffhanger with evidently more to come.

The artwork is sometimes hard to follow due to excessive use of colour. Quite a good series: I just wish it was clearer.

[Thurston Hunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some serious Norman Vincent Peale appeal here, as the crux of the book (and the spirit of the religion of Quantumology) seems to be the Power of Positive Thinking. Again thanks to my library as that is how I stumbled on Remender via the Deadly Class lessons, and there they had the big beautiful hardback vol 2 on display.

Thinks I remember about Remender. He does NOT like to kill off his characters even though they exist under major duress. Related to that duress, huge battle/actions stack up on each other in seemingly endless waves. Sure hope all you want, but expect the worst and then even worse.

As such the stories are fun plot driven, with exaggerated characters. Something here about parents sacrificing kids but maybe that's me and a resonance from the teachers versus students. I did find myself wondering if there were inadvertent music references in some of the quotes.

His art for me feels like stylish graffiti (or Black Metal album fonts) seems messy and hard to suss out, but that is perhaps its point to to me as a reader of a certain vintage. There was a heavy orange tinge throughout, even though the stories are set in underwater domes, perhaps to underscore the omnipresence of the ever-expanding sun.

[Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first heard about Low in a YouTube video discussing great Image comics or something. I was immediately sold on how beautiful the art was. The dreamlike flowiness of the pencils, the grand undersea landscapes and the warm color palette all drew me in.

Little did I know there’s an amazing story in there as well, that resonates especially well with me as a psychologist. It’s a story about how our perception actually shapes our reality - but how the mindset of positive thinking can veer into delusional optimism - and how that can impact both ourselves and the people around us. The question the comic asks is: how can we remain hopeful even in the darkest times? And is that actually helpful, or a lie we tell ourselves?
Seeing as the writer reveals in the preface that he’s had recurring depressive episodes, that have only gotten better after going to CBT therapy, you can really tell in the story that he doesn’t have the definitive answer either (or at least not yet).

I was also pleasantly surprised about the size of this hardcover: it’s even bigger than a usual OHC, more the size of an Absolute. This way I could appreciate the art even more. Truly one of the most visually appealing and thematically interesting comics I’ve read!

[Robson Castilho · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Este encadernado compila as 15 primeiras edições de Low, que fecha em 26.)

A história é uma básica jornada da heroína, que, aparentemente, é a única pessoa restante na Terra que ainda tem esperança no futuro dos humanos.

É esta "esperança", aliás, o grande pilar da série. Embora, obviamente, faça sentido, cansa um pouco como o autor coloca o tema na boca dos personagens, como se ele quisesse desesperadamente transmitir a mensagem da esperança para os leitores (fica piegas em alguns momentos).

A arte é muito bonita e é acentuada pelo trabalho sensacional de cores. O que me incomodou foi a falta de clareza em alguns quadros, principalmente quando envolvem explosões, mortes e outras cenas de ação, onde ficava difícil de entender direito o que tinha ocorrido na cena.

Fora estes problemas, a leitura em si foi agradável e me prendeu. Se não fosse por essas "travadas" na arte, poderia ter dado as 5 estrelas.

Vamos ver como fecha a série para eu dar minha avaliação final.

[TheMadReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’d like to preface by saying, the concept of “Low” is very intriguing. Humanity living out the remainder of its years underwater as the sun’s radiation is too much to deal with on landfall. Some choose lawlessness, others choose depraving behavior as they stray away from religion, and then there’s the lead character which chooses, hope. The execution of this story was way below average though. I’m disappointed in Remender, how do you go from his other works to this? I’d also like to add that, this was my first introduction to artist Greg Tocchini, and I find his art to be very lackluster and lazy. This was probably the first story I’ve ever read in the medium where the art confused the story for me. I didn’t find it to represent the dialogue well, and when shit really hit the fan within the story, the art was always 10 steps behind. Just an overall mess.

Volume 1 was eh, I’ll be back for volume 2 of this deluxe set to shit on it some more.

[Zachary Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when the sun expands and burns the earth? The survivors on earth retreat and build a new society in the ocean depths as the earth's surface is covered in radiation. The problem arise when the local domes begin running out of supplies and need to start searching for a new planet to call home. A new sci -fi story from Rick Remender with Greg Tocchini on art who I knew from an arc in Uncanny X-Force he worked on with Remender. The story features a female protagonist who is driven by optimism. This is a change from the norm for Remender but it is a bit much at times in this story. Tocchini's art can be a bit jarring for some but it is a unique style that fits well with sci-fi. He does a great job with creatures and the coloring is also well done. Overall, I enjoyed the story and looking forward to the next collection.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another excellent creator owned series by Rick Remender. It has been a real treat to see this guy's career develop from Marvel to Image Comics. Low is an aquatic sci-fi/fantasy that focuses on a woman and the plight of her immediate family members. Just when I thought I had certain characters figured out each subsequent issue kept adding more layers to the narrative.

The underwater setting is effectively captured by the gorgeous artwork of Greg Tocchini. Tocchini does an amazing job creating dynamic panels with rich detail that really immerses you in the world. This is another series that really takes advantage of all that the comic book medium has to offer. Highly recommend for fans of Remender and sci-fi/fantasy.

[David W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot to admire, yet the preliminary appeal—distant future, undersea, political sci-fi—wore off a bit as I progressed. The story feels much bigger; it reads like it's in an abridged state, hitting beats too quickly, with its pacing feeling far too fast. All resulting in its treatment of war, politics, social dynamics, race, and ecology feeling adequate but undernourished.

Tocchini's art is both beautiful and... too busy, splotchy. Take a look at the cover: where does one character begin and end? This persists in the book, leading to some bearably confusing panels.

And it kills off who is arguably the most interesting character fairly early on.

In short: the world > its characters, though this may change. This edition contains a little over half of the total story (15/26 issues), and I do look forward to continuing it. Very much, in fact.

[Stuart McMillan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up not really knowing what I was getting into, but I'm pleased that I did.

It's a story set in a truly drowned world, where everyone is hiding beneath the oceans from the eventual and inevitable expansion of the sun.

It's a story of death and despair as the inevitability of the coming end of earth drives the remaining humanity to the depths of depravity. In this middle of this, there's one woman who still nurtures a grain of hope that the interstellar probes that were sent out generations ago.

This is a great story with fantastic artwork - I will be following up with the next one!

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic world and very interesting. I found it to be a rough start but around issue 7 it hooked me and I couldn’t put it down. While beautiful, I found the art in the early issues to feel not quite right. It was sometimes hard to figure out what was actually happening from panel to panel. When colorist Dave McCaig joins the team it all starts to come together brilliantly. Pages have the same beautiful artwork but things are now cleaning and flow really well. Details more crisp, characters and scenery more detailed.

Definitely worth the read and I have a feeling the next volume will be 5 stars. Very excited to see where the world goes from here.

[Matthew WK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner from Remender. Not on par with Black Science, but an enjoyable story that takes turns I didn't see coming. At times the artwork is breathtaking and at other times it's busy and confusing and I'm not sure what's going on within a panel. It's an interesting topic to explore and Remender chose an interesting world to explore it in. The main themes have been played out before, but the setting Remender chooses to explore them offers the feeling of a new take. Overall, I'd recommend as a read and if you enjoy it, pick it up and worthy of adding to your collection. Personally, I'm not sure I'll re-read so I'm passing on buying in HC or trades.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my!!! Rick Remender has outdone himself here. I can't go over how much I loved this. Remender and artist Greg Tocchini create a savage world under the sea that is amazing to read. The book deals with family, hope, loss, passion, and revenge. I was taken aback multiple times as the first three story arcs played out. Remender doesn't pull any punches and no character it safe. The art by Tocchini was breath taking at times but could get a little too sketchy in some panels. Overall, this book was spectacular though and I'd highly recommend it.

[Brandon Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit too early to say, but I won’t be surprised if this turns out to be Remender’s masterpiece. It’s a pretty amazing combination of story and theme, and, though I could see it being too heavy handed for some, it totally works for me. Toccini’s art is the best it has ever been. Dave McCraig’s colors are some of the best I have seen, and he adds clarity to Toccini’s impressionistic (and add times a little rushed) art. These giant hardcovers are a little cumbersome, but the oversized art makes it worth it.

[Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art and colours are outstanding, although sometimes it was hard to make out details of what you're looking at as objects and people bleed into each other. Making it difficult to know where one ends and another starts. The first issue people are on the surface the art seemed quite different; the inker had already changed so I'm not sure why. Maybe a colouring assistant.

The story is simple yet interesting. As the story progresses, things seem to happen for shock value and characters don't always act consistently.

I recommend giving it a go.