By Robin Jones
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Matteo Scalera and Dean White
If you’ve not been on board with Black Science then you’ve been missing a treat. This sci-fi juggernaut is a trans dimensional yarn, rippling through time and space, probing at the very layers of humanity and human nature. Remender’s ensemble cast is one of various shades of grey, and with the protagonist, Grant McKay, out of action this issue, it gives his other characters room to breathe. What we get with Black Science #3 is the chance to explore the mind and nature of these “backing” characters, allowing their importance to proceedings to take greater precedence. However, it does lack the pace which the previous two issues had, the first especially, but with having such a large story to tell, it’s a necessary evil.
Through flashbacks we see just how flawed McKay is, we see more of Ward’s motives and in the present we follow Kadir and Shawn as they attempt to find help for the injured McKay. This issue is attempting to tie up loose ends left frayed from the previous two issues. The writing is intelligent, Remender’s description of trans-dimensional travel is believable and sound strangely achievable…if we had a Pillar of our own… however, we get to the heart of our Dimensionauts motives, a way and means of curing all known diseases and solving all humankind’s problems, as each dimension holds the possibility for untold resources, cures, technology and otherwise. Coupled with the reverse manifest destiny storyline and a technologically advanced Native American army fighting WWI era Germans, Remender’s story is frenetic and visually stunning.
This is where we get to Scalera’s art, as it is a thing of beauty. It is consistently good, with the back and forth of flashbacks and present moment action allowing for Scalera to either focus on large scale action, strange alien creatures, grim war scenes or dramatic, subtle scenes playing off the tension between characters. Scalera’s sci-fi armies, his Dimensionaut apparatus and such are inspired. His Native American mech is stunning, reflecting both the technology and the culture and character of its builders. It’s this attention to detail which helps make Black Science stand out! Then there’s the colours, the tones, the vibe and texture, which all add to the visually stunning work Scalera does in this book. I’d get it just for the art alone!
Ultimately, Black Science #3 is a solid read, which fans of the series so far will lap up. It’s progression, whilst slower than the first two issues, is deliberate and seems to be building to something much bigger for the next issue. Not every second of a story can be action, excitement and mass tension, sometimes story telling and information giving must take the fore, and this is certainly what Remender does with this issue, yet it still reads well and hasn’t done his story much damage. I look forward to seeing where McKay, Ward, Becca et take us in the next issue.
I give this 7 out of 10
Check out the whole Black Science series HERE!
For more comic views and reviews follow Robin on Twitter at @Hulksmash1985
Posted on February 3rd, 2014
Category: PULP FRICTION, REVIEWS
Tags: Black Science #3 Review, Comic Blog, Comic Reviews, Dean White, Image Comics, Matteo Scalera, Rick Remender, Robin Jones