Don’t you hate it when your post messy breakup road trip of self discovery gets interrupted by frenzied interdimensional insect monsters? If that sounds even remotely relatable, then “Beyond the Breach” #1 could be the action-adventure addition to your pull list you’ve been looking for. While we’re not sure exactly where “Beyond the Breach” will take us in the following issues, the story has certainly piqued our interest.
Cover by Damian CouceiroWritten by Ed Brisson
Illustrated by Damian Couceiro
Colored by Patricio Delpeche
Lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Reviewed by Kobi BordoleyLife sucks for Vanessa. Her mother just died and her boyfriend is cheating on her (with her own sister!). To clear her mind, Vanessa is taking the California road-trip that she’s been dreaming about for years. Her postcard-perfect drive through old growth forests quickly turns when THE BREACH hits. A bizarre anomaly in the sky plunges California into a nightmare-world populated with strange, extra-dimensional creatures. Now Vanessa, along with Dougie, an orphaned child, and Kai, a strange, fuzzball of a beast, must fight to survive if they ever hope to make it back home. If there’s even a home to return to. Written by Ed Brisson (Uncanny X-Men, Ghost Rider, Old Man Logan) and illustrated by Damian Couceiro (Old Man Logan, Iron Fist, X-Force), BEYOND THE BREACH is a fantastical sci-fi road trip adventure about perseverance and finding family in unexpected places.
“Beyond the Breach” #1 works best when its monsters are front and center. Couceiro and Delpeche are clearly having a good time with this title, and we’d love to see what creative agency Brisson gave them. The beasts in “Beyond the Breach” are vile in the best way possible, sporting gaping maws, mandibles, secretions, feverishly beating wings — you know, the works. The creatures have vague eldritch horror and The Mist style designs. While the creatures in “Beyond the Breach” aren’t the most inspired, they’re creative enough to keep us turning the page. Additionally, some of the violence gets pretty graphic, not in a gratuitous way, but in a way that lets us know the monsters here bite, and they bite hard. Additionally, Otsmane-Elhaou has some mean lettering effects that up the monster ferocity in a big way. Letterers don’t get enough praise, but we’re happy to say that in “Beyond the Breach” #1, Otsmane-Elhaou does some heavy lifting. Delpeche’s colors also put in a lot of work, and “Beyond the Breach” #1 features a mix of dewy Pacific Northwest greens and blues with extra-planar purples and blacks. Everything feels saturated, and full of life (or death, as it turns out). From a color and illustration perspective, “Beyond the Breach” #1 is absolutely juicy.
In truth, the art in “Beyond the Breach” #1 is strong, across the board. The humans, not just the monsters, are drawn exceptionally. “Beyond the Breach” #1 is full of panic, and Couceiro makes that abundantly clear in character expressions and emotions. Sometimes in stories like these there’s a level of diminishing returns when it comes to fear. Something freaky happens, and the characters are aghast. Then it keeps happening, and as readers we get a bit exhausted as subsequent reveals hit with less verve. While “Beyond the Breach” #1 starts off at a high velocity (we’ll get back to that), Couceiro manages to draw enough variations in character expressions that things don’t get stale. That’s a win on its own in a high throttle, pedal to the metal story like this one.
However, that high velocity nature doesn’t always work out in “Beyond the Breach” #1. Pacing is a bit of an issue in “Beyond the Breach” #1. We get the sense that the story is trying to pull off a road trip of self discovery kind of vibe, and promises heavy character moments. For example, the first few panels of “Beyond the Breach” #1 are pretty clear exposition scenes in which Vanessa, our protagonist, rails off against her family, cheating boyfriend, and the general garbage she’s put up with. It’s a strong cold open, but it’s hard to feel invested from the get go when that plot gets sidelined by the interdimensional monster mash. As a result, it’s hard to keep track of what’s important in “Beyond the Breach” #1. To be sure, the juxtaposition between personal problems and universal tears in the fabric of spacetime don’t tank the story, just give it a frenetic edge that’s a bit too much. It feels as if “Beyond the Breach” could have benefitted from more of a slow burn start, and it would have been fun to learn a little bit more about Vanessa before things went sideways.
Continued belowOne other effect of having the action start so soon is that it forces the protagonists to act when the reader knows very little about them. More specifically, there’s a scene at the start of the story where Vanessa, after seeing a bunch of disgusting alien monsters appear out of nowhere, does some major heroics to save a young boy from a car that’s besieged by hellish termite slug creepy crawlers. We’re left wondering if this is out of character for her, something that’s innate to her identity, or something that would only happen in exceptional circumstances. In the moment, we’re spending time thinking about whether or not Vanessa’s actions are reasonable or not, as opposed to just being in the story. Instead of being enthralled, we’re questioning. It’s nothing story breaking or immersion ruining, but sometimes when a story starts out with a bang the audience is left wondering if it all makes sense, which can be detracting.
Of course, this is just the first issue, so it’s likely that future installments of “Beyond the Breach” will reign things in a little bit and pull us in deeper. There are certainly plenty of hooks to follow. We don’t know much about Dougie — is he just a random kid Vanessa manages to save, or does he have a greater purpose in this? What are the interdimensional monsters after? Do they just kill? They have some pretty cool abilities that portends higher levels of intelligence, but that remains to be seen.
And finally, what’s up with Kai, the Ewok-y looking critter that, along with other members of its race, appeared at the same time the monsters did? This is maybe the most compelling mystery or hook in “Beyond the Breach” #1, as “humans on the sidelines of a greater conflict, trying to survive” is a pretty fun trope, especially in these sorts of stories. It’s a bit reminiscent of Paper Girls, and we’re excited to learn more of the lore surrounding the world of “Beyond the Breach.”
“Beyond the Breach” #1 is a promising title with gorgeous art and compelling hooks. While the pacing falters at times, we’re still fully looking forward to what happens next. And at the end of the day, that’s what’s most important. We’re hoping further issues include more character building, the same deadly monsters, and a continued journey into the heart of the breach.
Final Verdict: 7.3. A Cathartic road trip meets a catastrophic world wrecking.
