Massive #5

Crew members of the Kapital Mary & Ryan are on a mission on the frozen landscapes of Coats Land to locate the purest form of ice to melt down into perfect drinking water. But what began as a simple search for provisions has become a fight for survival, as they’re not the only ones scavenging for water.

The Team

Written & created by Brian Wood (Local, Wolverine & The X-Men : Alpha & Omega, Northlanders Vol. 4 : The Plague Widow), illustrated by Garry Brown (Dark Matter Vol. 1 : Rebirth), coloured by Dave Stewart (Baltimore Vol. 2 : The Curse Bells, Conan : The Spear & Other Stories). Cover art by J.P. Leon. Published by Dark Horse Comics

The Pros

A really exciting issue from one of the most unique series out there, as we take a break from the high seas and focus on icy realms of the Antarctic and warm freshwater wells. The story focuses on two female crew members of the Kapital, the Massive’s sister ship which the Kapital is looking for. They embark on foot across below zero weather in order to confirm to the Kapital that they’ve located provisions, mainly blocks of ice to melt into fresh drinking water, which after the Crash has more value than fuel. Some exhilarating life & death moments ensues, plus some more background on Mary & Ryan. Issue after issue, it’s amazing the abundance of information and the attention to detail that writer Brian Wood produces for this story, you’d swear he was an ex-environmentalist & captain of his own ship.

Illustrator Garry Brown has some wonderful full page drawings of Antarctica’s frozen landscapes, some gorgeous underwater images and some cool looking flashbacks of an oil rig rammed by rogue waves.

The Cons

This is definitely my least favourite cover from illustrator J. P. Leon

The Outcome

Now it wouldn’t be a Massive comic without some extra information at the end. The Thirteen News Network (basically its CNN) has an interview with Captain Callum Israel about everything from Ninth Wave to the Kapital & The Massive. It’s a fascinating Q & A period and helps new readers on the background of these characters and their mission.