Ten years ago a solar flare changed life forever. The suns rays now burn everything they touch to a crisp. Humanity has fled underground, only coming to the surface at night, but a cure has been found – and everything is about to change.
The final arc of Eclipse begins with this issue!
The Cover
The cover features Parker Van Gorn standing in the ruins of the city. What is noticeable, is that he is standing unaffected in the full light of the sun. This tells us the cure he took last issue has worked. The details of the city are excellent, and it looks like it may be foreshadowing the fall of Solarity.
The Art
Giovanni Timpano and Flavio Dispenza handle the art and colours respectively. The way that their work blends together is what brings Eclipse to life. Timpano fills every panel with amazing details, from the characters to the world as a whole. Dispenza’s colour work is what brings it truly to life. The underground scenes look dark, but not so dark that detail is lost. The sunlit scenes on the other hand, look bleached out and harsh. It’s truly a testament to their work that this team can make a sunlit plaza look like one of the most dangerous places a person could visit.
The Story
Zack Kaplan departs from the usually narrative arc that he has used in the first three arcs. Whereas previously the arc would start slow and build to an explosive climax, this one explodes out of the gate almost immediately.
Our heroes are both facing different forms of imprisonment. Cielo is imprisoned by her father, and Bax is consigned to drilling in the tunnels. This has them effectively sidelined as Parker Van Gorn returns, now an albino, and makes a play to strike at the very heart of the city. The issue ends with both of our heroes in peril, leaving an impressive cliff-hanger leading into the next issue.
I started following this series at Issue #10, and worked my way back(thanks Mr. Kaplan)! It’s been one of the strongest series I’ve read in a long, long time, and I’ve been lucky enough to review it over at Impulse Gamer as well. This is a fantastic series, pick up the trades and get caught up and then buckle in for the finish!
Try not to Roll a 1 