The Massive #5

Written by Brian Wood
Art by Garry Brown

I've been enjoying The Massive a great deal since it began, but this is easily my favourite issue so far.  I felt that Brian Wood finally slowed down a little, and focused his story perfectly on a done-in-one story that introduced a new character, developed a major one a little better, perfectly used a cool new idea, and helped illustrate the realities of the world, post-Crash.

In this issue, Mary, one of the central command staff on The Kapital, accompanied by Ryan, the Ninth Wave's sole American recruit, journeys inland in Antarctica to search for a source of clean drinking water with which to resupply their ship.  She has knowledge of a facility that uses geothermic energy to melt the cleanest water on the Earth.  The problem is that she and Ryan are met by people who have been squatting in the facility.

Mary has been an interesting figure since this book started.  She's very capable, although we know nothing about her, and her strange connection to the world's oceans.  While we don't learn anything about her past, we do get to know her a little better, especially through her interactions with Ryan, who has always had difficulty fitting into the larger group because of her American-ness.  I hope that Mary's (and Mag's) connections to the ocean don't turn out to be mystical or fantastical in nature, as I feel that this book is very grounded in reality right now.

This issue was very well plotted, and had a real sense of immediacy to it.  With the cast of the comic not being very set yet, it's easy to imagine Wood killing people off.  Garry Brown's art has grown on me really quickly, and now I think I prefer him to Kristian Donaldson on this title.

If you aren't reading The Massive, you're missing one of the best new comics of this year.