Massive #8

For the crew of the Kapital, who started out as guests on the former oil rig turned sanctuary called Moksha Station, have now become prisoners. With the last remaining crew member of the Kapital waiting impatiently on the bridge in the middle of a hurricane, Captain Israel sits helplessly in the Moksha brig, while Mary does some deck exploration.

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. Cover art by J.P. Leon. Published by Dark Horse Comics.

The Pros & Cons

Warning! Spoilers Ahead! (kind of).

How far can one person’s faith or trust go? The world has suffered an apocalyptic disaster called The Crash, society as you know it has ceased. Your home is destroyed. Your family & friends are dead & you’re an environmentalist & a crew member aboard a ship called the Kapital. You sail the high seas searching for food & fuel in the hopes of finding your sister ship The Massive. Your future is not bright and hope slips away very quickly. All of sudden you come across a utopia on a former oil rig with people, food, shelter & security. Suddenly your future seems a little brighter. What would you do in a situation like this? More importantly, what would you give up? That’s exactly what happens to one of the Kapital crew members in another thrilling issue of The Massive. But then again, it could be the writer’s use of misdirection to throw the reader. That’s what makes Brian Wood such a great writer, you just never know where he’ll take you.

This title has really picked up since the first story arc. It was good, but now this is the meat & potatoes of the series. Not surprising that the Moksha Station is too good to be true and that really builds up the tension which creates major plot turns and produces one hell of a jaw dropping cliffhanger ending. Garry Brown’s illustration helps give the look of this world a violent & gritty tone as giants waves come crashing against the Kapital & the Moksha Station like little toy boats in the bathtub. One breath taking image and had me saying “Holy shit!” has one the crew members diving off the Moksha Station at a hundred feet and into the ocean.

The Outcome

With the monthly Conan, Star Wars & the upcoming all female X-Men title, Brian Wood is one busy guy. Let’s hope he can juggle them all at once.