Dana Atkinson, a dishonorably discharged
army investigator, is pulled back to the Middle East when a group of American
oil technicians disappear under bizarre circumstances. With the help of an
Iraqi investigator, what Dana discovers is unimaginable: a series of unusual
incidents at the drill site lead her and her unlikely ally to discover a mythic
evil that has been released, one that threatens both the lives of the entire
region and the fragile peace that exists.
Writers:
Tim Daniel
Michael Moreci
Artist:
Colin Lorimer
Publisher:
Boom! Studios
As the recent furor over the Oscar
nominations and American Sniper have shown, no matter how you try to ignore it,
life itself is political. Boom! Studios' new series realises this, but gives it
a supernatural twist. Set in the modern day Middle East, an area which has
uneasily become used to US Military occupation and private contractors stomping
around as if they own the place, Dana Atkinson is sent back into a situation
where the real danger is more mundane and human.
From the first few pages, it's an engaging
read, though perhaps not one for the squeamish. Opening on a scene that would
make most modern horror films seem tame in comparison, it dovetails into
scenarios that are electrified with tension.
Colin Lorimer's use of cool colouring and
shadowing highlights the uneasy situations the characters find themselves in,
as they move from situations where one false move could end in a firefight.
Hanging over it all, even when not present on the page, are the looming shadows
of the oil fields, the machinery seeming to extract not only oil, but the souls
of those who spend too much time around them.
The tense situation, complex characters and
unusual setting for a supernatural story are great. Now if the comic can keep
those elements in play, without them descending into action movie farce as so
many supernatural comics and films do, we may just have a contender for the
best horror comic of the year.
Image courtesy of Boom! Studios
Geek-o-Rama received a copy of this comic for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are those of the individual reviewer.
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