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Manifest Destiny #37-42
Manifest Destiny, Vol. 7: Talpa Lumbricus & Lepus
Spring has sprung and the Corps of Discovery is closing in on the Pacific! But new beginnings mean new horrors for Lewis and Clark, and out on the American plains, a sleeping beast has awoken!
Collects MANIFEST DESTINY #37-42
Collects MANIFEST DESTINY #37-42
128 pages, Paperback
Published July 21, 2020
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 46 reviews
February 4, 2023
The reimaging of the Lewis and Clark expedition finally continues, two years after the last volume came out. I believe the author wishes to speed up the narrative, as volumes five and six had dragged with the motley crew wintering in ND during which time Sacagawea gave birth to her little boy, and in this volume, they break camp and journey quite far towards the Pacific Ocean. Arches always mean danger and indeed that proves true several times, with a tribe of women who become bloodthirsty jackalopes being especially deadly for some foolish men who had other things in mind. Some well-drawn Lovecraftian creatures attack and the crew is being winnowed down, but Lewis and Clark adopt a new strategy of just surviving the journey and not putting themselves or the crew in any more danger than necessary. The confusing last pages give us a cliffhanger, but with our current Covid crisis, will this series be once again delayed or even finished? (Actual review 3.5/5)
This review (plus V8) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/02/0...
This review (plus V8) can be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2023/02/0...
July 25, 2020
The elevator pitch for this series is: “Lewis & Clark & Lovecraft”.
February 11, 2026
Another great story- great monsters, each new creature helps us connect better with the human characters. How would they react to fear, lust, pain, anger? The human reactions are always sincere; not always right but as a reader you get the sense that it made sense.
I am super excited for the conclusion and highly recommend this series.
I am super excited for the conclusion and highly recommend this series.
May 3, 2021
I really enjoyed this volume! I felt like the pacing was a bit better than the previous two volumes - more story was developed. I'm very enthralled! The art is amazing. Looking forward to the next volume.
February 17, 2025
Aaand we’re back, baby! This felt like 5/5 part of the series. But now I am going into the last arc with a bit of a fear of how the heck are they gonna finish this, when it still feels like we’re in the middle?
Read
June 12, 2022The titles have certainly got less catchy since volume 1's Flora & Fauna, haven't they? But after a winter stuck in the fort, the pace of the story picks up, with encounters that would once have made for a whole volume now dispatched in an issue or less, and others simply avoided, as the diminished party tries to make it to the coast. Becoming less fun as it goes along is obviously part of the series' bait and switch critique of colonialism, but doesn't stop it being less fun - though it may not help that this is the first volume I've read since learning more than the very barest summary of the real Lewis & Clark.
Still, I did enjoy the afterword about the one definite good boy in the group, Seaman the Newfie.
Still, I did enjoy the afterword about the one definite good boy in the group, Seaman the Newfie.
January 24, 2023
Oh my, this very much feels like a penultimate volume. Or at least a volume where the plot has arrived once again after a few volumes of internal foes and character growth. The expedition is on the move once again now that it's spring. The examination of a new arch leads to a surprise encounter with a tribe of women (), followed by the swearing off of further arch-ventures.
It's nice to see Lewis and Clark finally make a sane decision in choosing not to send their (seemingly endless supply of) men into the meat grinder. There's also a clever reveal about Maldonado that signals forward momentum for the series and some reckoning with past genocides by at least one member of the crew. And then that cliffhanger! Too bad the next volume isn't released for another month - and then who knows when my library will pick it up!
It's nice to see Lewis and Clark finally make a sane decision in choosing not to send their (seemingly endless supply of) men into the meat grinder. There's also a clever reveal about Maldonado that signals forward momentum for the series and some reckoning with past genocides by at least one member of the crew. And then that cliffhanger! Too bad the next volume isn't released for another month - and then who knows when my library will pick it up!
August 16, 2025
It's been a couple of years since I read the first 6 volumes of this series which takes the Lewis and Clark expedition and adds several supernatural elements that have to be battled as they go on their voyage of discovery across the then basically unknown American wilderness. This volume felt like a 'connector' volume to me so it's good I have the 8th volume ready to read as this ended in a cliff hanger. Interestingly there's a brief article at the end about the expedition's dog, Seaman, who is not in this much at all. As the grueling voyage continues its challenges and dangers, the expedition members are getting worn down. As usual, the best interactions are between Lewis and the widowed woman they brought along at least in this version of the story. My rating is 3 stars.
Read
March 14, 2024Ok yes I read this entire series (all 48 issues) in one day. I will not be rating the issues or the volumes individually (don't care enough).
Art is interesting & the monsters r interesting too - I saw a review describing them as "Lovecraftian" but I wouldn't know I have never read Lovecraft. I appreciate that it doesn't try to like make Lewis & Clark to be sympathetic heroes or whatever, and they even go so far to repeatedly hammer into you that they r evil white guys - the real monsters of the Americas. The ending is satisfying ... EXCEPT for the final epilogue scene, which I thought was so dumb I scoffed out loud. Fun comic read!!!
Art is interesting & the monsters r interesting too - I saw a review describing them as "Lovecraftian" but I wouldn't know I have never read Lovecraft. I appreciate that it doesn't try to like make Lewis & Clark to be sympathetic heroes or whatever, and they even go so far to repeatedly hammer into you that they r evil white guys - the real monsters of the Americas. The ending is satisfying ... EXCEPT for the final epilogue scene, which I thought was so dumb I scoffed out loud. Fun comic read!!!
March 23, 2023
"Moleworm & Hare"
This is probably a solid volume, though my experience suffers from the big gap since I read v6. I can't remember 80% of the characters so I'm not sure how to interpret certain losses and plot turns.
Plot points:
This is probably a solid volume, though my experience suffers from the big gap since I read v6. I can't remember 80% of the characters so I'm not sure how to interpret certain losses and plot turns.
Plot points:
October 9, 2020
An improvement over the last few volumes, but it still leaves much to be desired. There are a lot of cool monster designs, but the series has no desire to stick with them for very long. This is because Lewis and Clark change the rules this time around. After the heart-breaking finale of volume 3, it’s disappointing that those bird creatures were killed when more menacing creatures are spared later.
The human subplots are pretty dull next to the creature conflicts, but this is the direction the series is heading. There’s the love-hate conflict between Madame Boniface and Lewis/Clark (I’m having trouble telling the difference between the two), Sacajawea trying to be a caring mother, a random gay romance between two forgettable characters, and then the silly supernatural plot involving the ghost of the Spanish explorer.
While cramming so much into the story’s cracks, Dingess and Robert’s are forgetting what made this so good in the first place. Yes, you will see some of those great moments this time around, but they are spoiled by what seems to be a rush to finish this series.
The human subplots are pretty dull next to the creature conflicts, but this is the direction the series is heading. There’s the love-hate conflict between Madame Boniface and Lewis/Clark (I’m having trouble telling the difference between the two), Sacajawea trying to be a caring mother, a random gay romance between two forgettable characters, and then the silly supernatural plot involving the ghost of the Spanish explorer.
While cramming so much into the story’s cracks, Dingess and Robert’s are forgetting what made this so good in the first place. Yes, you will see some of those great moments this time around, but they are spoiled by what seems to be a rush to finish this series.
April 29, 2021
Man, have I missed this book! Easily one of my favorites currently being written. And the artwork has taken a noticeable step up, too, in this volume. More of what made this such a fascinating title from the beginning: Lewis & Clark discover all sorts of weird creatures and circumstances as they explore the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the best collections yet and it's going to be hard to wait for the next one!
September 23, 2020
Finally Dingess and Roberts kick it back into high gear! This volume is why I started reading the book in the first place. We get an equal dose of insane supernatural creatures, adventure, human drama, and finally answers that matter. The ending was climatic especially since the book has been paused due to Covid. Overall, a great read. Can't wait to read more.
December 30, 2022
The only thing “better” than a cliffhanger, is knowing that there is going to be a hiatus and we are not finding out what happened for, well.....FOREVER.
On the upside, I’m loving that the story, and the journey, is progressing onwards
On the upside, I’m loving that the story, and the journey, is progressing onwards
May 12, 2023
This series has fallen off quite a bit post-volume 3 - I think it's mainly due to the glacial speed at which it was written and released and the pacing that didn't quite know what to do with itself as the longer story-long arc built up. While some pages still wow and amaze with Robert and Gieni's wonderful art and colors, the writing just isn't there. Dingess wants you to care too much about too many subplots in too awkward a span of time. The characterizations have grown stale, are so far removed from the people they're based on that they lose charm, and the dynamics lose steam due to neglect over the course of many volumes. It's so, SO hard to care about Boniface and Lewis when their interactions are ignored and then randomly brought up again, and EXTREMELY hard to care about Lewis and Clark being pitted against each other when quite frankly their friendship and co-captainship was woefully underdeveloped to begin with. All the promise of volumes 1-3 come crashing down hard by 7.
I would also mention that the "colonialism bad" messaging misses a lot of its marks. It feels more like a thematic point Dingess turned to simply because you can't ignore the bloody imperial history of the United States if your protagonists are Lewis and Clark, rather than something he WANTED to write. Genocide is explored via sentient animals and giant moles while genociders are humanized or rationalized ala vietnam war vet movie. Indigenous people seem mostly absent from the landscape (reinforcing the virgin land view of America by omission) and Sacagawea not only has less meaningful lines and action than the MADE UP FRENCH WOMAN, she remains a stoic badass whose characterization seems like a misplaced, botched attempt at male feminism. It's lazy and while not evil, feels like a feeble concession made to compensate for the premise of the comic.
I honestly enjoyed it a lot when I first started reading it in 2015, but in between it's major narrative failures and it's meh politics...it's no longer worth the read. Literally read anything else Roberts and Gieni have worked on.
I would also mention that the "colonialism bad" messaging misses a lot of its marks. It feels more like a thematic point Dingess turned to simply because you can't ignore the bloody imperial history of the United States if your protagonists are Lewis and Clark, rather than something he WANTED to write. Genocide is explored via sentient animals and giant moles while genociders are humanized or rationalized ala vietnam war vet movie. Indigenous people seem mostly absent from the landscape (reinforcing the virgin land view of America by omission) and Sacagawea not only has less meaningful lines and action than the MADE UP FRENCH WOMAN, she remains a stoic badass whose characterization seems like a misplaced, botched attempt at male feminism. It's lazy and while not evil, feels like a feeble concession made to compensate for the premise of the comic.
I honestly enjoyed it a lot when I first started reading it in 2015, but in between it's major narrative failures and it's meh politics...it's no longer worth the read. Literally read anything else Roberts and Gieni have worked on.
June 11, 2023
The penultimate volume is here. Volume seven brings spring with it and with the new season the Corps of Discovery heads back out on the river. New creatures are glossed over. I really do wish they would spend more time on them, but it seems that the creatures are taking more of back seat as we are focusing more on the crew. The crew is all interacting with Jean Baptist in this, and they all seem to love him in their own way. One of the creatures that the corps meets is a cross between an earthworm and a mole. The discovery leads to a haunting revelation that not all creatures are out to kill people which we have come across with the cyclops and the Fezrons. The Corps is again haunted by their past and it is slowly chipping away at their souls. Collins is continuing to lose himself to duty because he has nothing else. It is revealed that both Lewis and Clark are keeping journals which leads to a nice revelation. There is a nice moment between Lewis and Magdaline the gives a sense of hope for those two if they survive this journey. The village of women was interesting but there was something eerie about it. Once the corps was back on the boat Clark made his worst mistake, I think in this series so far by letting the men go back to the women’s village. Lewis and Clark come clean about Arturo Maldonado to Magdaline and also, they revealed how they deceived a ghost. I really liked the deception as it was revealed, and it helped them remain sane. Tuttle is freaking smart to have stayed with the boat. After the women’s village the book seems to skim over parts again glossing over large areas to move us the reader along. Maldonado has the last laugh on the captains as he corrupts other members of the crew to dwindle down our corps even more as we close out this volume.
July 15, 2024
The Corps Discover Lust &... Love?
A truly superb installment of one of the finest continuing series I've had the pleasure to read. The continual character development of all of the recurring characters is so masterfully weaved in these books by Chris Dingess, that it makes picking up every volume an utter pleasure. And that's after every single panel of Matthew Roberts' art, coloured by Owen Gieni, indulges my eyes with a veritable feast of character and richness.
Volume 7; as with all of its predecessors, presents Lewis & Clark with new and intriguing challenges both among their own Corps and in the wilds of their expedition. While the book retains the same flavoursome ingredients of action and intrigue, it also adds new layers to all of the characters by exploring their carnal desires in a unique and entertaining way that has become a hallmark of Manifest Destiny.
It's title, 'Talpalumbricus & Lepus' offers but the slightest clue of what lays ahead, but I can assure you that you'll never be quite so enraptured by 'worms and rabbits' than you will when you brave the pages of this fine tome.
The penultimate book of the series and a worthy and essential entry in the quest of Manifest Destiny's Lewis & Clark.
A truly superb installment of one of the finest continuing series I've had the pleasure to read. The continual character development of all of the recurring characters is so masterfully weaved in these books by Chris Dingess, that it makes picking up every volume an utter pleasure. And that's after every single panel of Matthew Roberts' art, coloured by Owen Gieni, indulges my eyes with a veritable feast of character and richness.
Volume 7; as with all of its predecessors, presents Lewis & Clark with new and intriguing challenges both among their own Corps and in the wilds of their expedition. While the book retains the same flavoursome ingredients of action and intrigue, it also adds new layers to all of the characters by exploring their carnal desires in a unique and entertaining way that has become a hallmark of Manifest Destiny.
It's title, 'Talpalumbricus & Lepus' offers but the slightest clue of what lays ahead, but I can assure you that you'll never be quite so enraptured by 'worms and rabbits' than you will when you brave the pages of this fine tome.
The penultimate book of the series and a worthy and essential entry in the quest of Manifest Destiny's Lewis & Clark.
April 9, 2026
My Rating: 7/10
Spring has arrived, and the Corps of Discovery is finally on the move again, closing in on the Pacific coast. But as the title suggests new beginnings bring new horrors. The expedition encounters a giant, Lovecraftian subterranean creature, a village of women with a bloody connection to the local jackalope population, and the lingering, manipulative presence of the Spanish conquistador ghost who has haunted Clark for volumes. The change of scenery and the renewed sense of momentum are immediately apparent; the narrative feels less bogged down by introspection and more driven by the simple, terrifying question of what lies around the next bend.
Manifest Destiny has rediscovered its sense of purpose. For readers who have stuck with Lewis and Clark through the winter, this volume offers the reward of a journey finally resuming, and the promise of an end that, one hopes, will be worthy of the strange, bloody, and beautiful road that led to it.
Spring has arrived, and the Corps of Discovery is finally on the move again, closing in on the Pacific coast. But as the title suggests new beginnings bring new horrors. The expedition encounters a giant, Lovecraftian subterranean creature, a village of women with a bloody connection to the local jackalope population, and the lingering, manipulative presence of the Spanish conquistador ghost who has haunted Clark for volumes. The change of scenery and the renewed sense of momentum are immediately apparent; the narrative feels less bogged down by introspection and more driven by the simple, terrifying question of what lies around the next bend.
Manifest Destiny has rediscovered its sense of purpose. For readers who have stuck with Lewis and Clark through the winter, this volume offers the reward of a journey finally resuming, and the promise of an end that, one hopes, will be worthy of the strange, bloody, and beautiful road that led to it.
April 25, 2021
The expedition...continues? Wanders? Meanders? After a very long pause in the real world, the next volume of this story drops, and wouldn’t we know it, the characters are suddenly in a rush to finish their epic journey, when one suspects it’s more like the creative team would like to button this up and move on. Strange, then that the arc narrative does so little to advance the larger story, and strains our disbelief - were we really to assume that so many expedition members would party with a tribe of strange women so deep in monster country? The various reveals all suggest the team is giving itself storytelling hooks to revisit because they don’t really know how, when or where to wrap this up. Which is such a shame, given how tremendous this series has proven it could be.
June 2, 2021
After last volume’s slower, more character-tension-driven storyline, Dingess gets back to the heart of this book: a travelogue with tons of weird sh*t along the way.
If half-stars were applicable, I would’ve given this volume 3.5 instead of 4 stars for several reasons (all under a single umbrella complaint), all of which connect to pacing.
The earlier volumes took much more time to explore the mystery of each new creature / arch. The crew encounters 5 arches (?) in this storyline; yet, their philosophy is to press on no matter what.
Aside from that, there were some good character moments (some a long time coming) that redeemed the breakneck pace.
If you’ve made it this far in the series, I say keep going!
If half-stars were applicable, I would’ve given this volume 3.5 instead of 4 stars for several reasons (all under a single umbrella complaint), all of which connect to pacing.
The earlier volumes took much more time to explore the mystery of each new creature / arch. The crew encounters 5 arches (?) in this storyline; yet, their philosophy is to press on no matter what.
Aside from that, there were some good character moments (some a long time coming) that redeemed the breakneck pace.
If you’ve made it this far in the series, I say keep going!
August 9, 2022
Hmm a this one is a little less terrible with some good twists. The problem is it seems the story is just wanting to be over and dragging it out especially the elephant in the room. We're just passing by arches at this point and any creatures that come up are only given one page. Can't be anymore of a feeling of a placeholder. Why not just skip to the end? There's a mysterious final challenge coming up but with such a nasty element to the story, it's souring me on any enjoyment. Not that I think it will actually happen, which is another annoying aspect because it's keeps getting foreshadowed. Mainly, it's ruining any admiration for the characters and the writers I have that this is actually a such a big part of the story.
Ok i see the next volume is the last one. That gives me some hope.
Ok i see the next volume is the last one. That gives me some hope.
March 18, 2023
It's been a big break since the last time I read this series, but I was able to pick most of it up again without trouble - the four main characters at least are all pretty distinct, even if the rest of the boat's inhabitants are pretty indistinguishable. This volume has some pretty major events; a giant naked mole rat, an all-woman's camp holds a horrifying secret, and the ghost haunting Clark finally makes his move. There's a nice turnabout in one of those plot, which caught me off guard in the best way. But it's the climactic scene at the end that really raises the stakes for the series.
The art in this series is as impressive as ever, with the color work especially making its look very unique. I'm glad I finally got back to it.
The art in this series is as impressive as ever, with the color work especially making its look very unique. I'm glad I finally got back to it.
November 17, 2023
Manifest Destiny Vol.7 – Talpalumbrius & Lepus
Will any of them survive? Rather, how come some ARE still alive? Gosh, these freaky red-haired ………. !!
#37 – “29, April 1805 – Mission is back in earnest. Disembarked for sample collection and exploration.” – journal
#38 – “I had to negotiate, but I have convinced Clark to continue keeping his own journal, as he did at Fort Mandan. I believe it will be helpful ..” – clever Clark!!!
#39 – “Captains? I got a feeling we’re being watched.” – York
#40 – “No. All of the rabbits are dead.” – women of the village {something creepy gonna be lurking here}
#41 – “We need to discuss our journals.” – Clark to Lewis
#42 – “Never in my days had I made a discovery .. And felt completely, utterly stupid because of it.” - journal
Will any of them survive? Rather, how come some ARE still alive? Gosh, these freaky red-haired ………. !!
#37 – “29, April 1805 – Mission is back in earnest. Disembarked for sample collection and exploration.” – journal
#38 – “I had to negotiate, but I have convinced Clark to continue keeping his own journal, as he did at Fort Mandan. I believe it will be helpful ..” – clever Clark!!!
#39 – “Captains? I got a feeling we’re being watched.” – York
#40 – “No. All of the rabbits are dead.” – women of the village {something creepy gonna be lurking here}
#41 – “We need to discuss our journals.” – Clark to Lewis
#42 – “Never in my days had I made a discovery .. And felt completely, utterly stupid because of it.” - journal
December 4, 2023
The end is in sight, and the cracks are beginning to show. With a new determination to get to the end of the journey, even if it means missing things along the way, the Discovery Corps gets its ass in gear.
Something I've noted about this series as I've gone along is that there's been a few times where it's caught me off-guard. Characters have known things that they haven't revealed that they've known all the way along, and it reframes a lot of what came before, and it's done in such a way that it's obvious after the fact but cleverly hidden up until that point. There's at least two points in this volume alone where that happened, and it's nice to know that I can still be surprised.
One more volume to go. Please, please let it stick the landing.
Something I've noted about this series as I've gone along is that there's been a few times where it's caught me off-guard. Characters have known things that they haven't revealed that they've known all the way along, and it reframes a lot of what came before, and it's done in such a way that it's obvious after the fact but cleverly hidden up until that point. There's at least two points in this volume alone where that happened, and it's nice to know that I can still be surprised.
One more volume to go. Please, please let it stick the landing.
January 2, 2026
Ever since the winder started, it has dragged down a bit. I do like the exploration, the creatures, the different threats... But story-wise, the only thing which was cool was the double journal reveal. And then it feels like the characters just act dumb or forget about everything that has already happened. To add to my disappointment, I was expecting even more demons and sacrifices and surviving, and it is present, but in very small doses and it feels like a wasted opportunity. The series is long, the premise is awesome, there are twists and turns and yet it feels empty. I wonder how it will end in the last book.
February 14, 2026
Probably one of the best installments. Kind of moved through a lot of different creatures and challenges without going too deep, and I think the previous ones should have done that as well, just to expand the world more than they have.
The Maldonado double cross reveal was squandered, in my opinion.
Also, the rabbit Amazonian ladies should have not just resulted in violence, I was hoping it was more of a Circe>Odyssey situation.
I’ve enjoyed this series, and even though this one was one of the best. The sexuality in it makes it hard to recommend.
The Maldonado double cross reveal was squandered, in my opinion.
Also, the rabbit Amazonian ladies should have not just resulted in violence, I was hoping it was more of a Circe>Odyssey situation.
I’ve enjoyed this series, and even though this one was one of the best. The sexuality in it makes it hard to recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 20, 2021
After a long winter stay in a single place near one of those monster-spawning stone arches, the Lewis and Clark expedition finally moves on, and now, it looks like they might be speeding things along a bit as it heads for the finale. The purpose of the expedition is out there, and now it just remains to be seen how many people will actually make it to the end of the expedition. I'm still liking this though I am not sure how much longer this will go on.
December 16, 2021
Better than the previous couple of volumes but it still feels padded and a bit dull.
There is also less of a focus on the monsters and too much on the Spanish conquistador, a character that I find annoying.
I am curious to see how it wraps up but I am losing interest. It is disappointing as the first three volumes were really quite good.
There is also less of a focus on the monsters and too much on the Spanish conquistador, a character that I find annoying.
I am curious to see how it wraps up but I am losing interest. It is disappointing as the first three volumes were really quite good.
February 23, 2022
This volume is heavier on plot development, but the series has clearly taken a downturn in quality. It's still entertaining but it fails to wow or surprise anymore. It looks like the 8th volume will be the last, and though it seems like there is still much to resolve, I think it is for the best that the series will be wrapping up soon.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews