The first issue of “Caliban” was impressive, full of unsettling little details that got us asking questions about this sci-fi tale. As we move forward, the hints we’re getting paint an increasingly terrifying picture.
Written by Garth Ennis
Illustrated by Facundo PercioGARTH ENNIS has created a science fiction horror story that grabs you and rips a black hole in your chest while reading. The crew of the Caliban is dying. When an alien ship melded with their vessel in hyperspace, it unleashed something long forgotten from the darkest and coldest corners of the universe. Creeping flesh, mutating fears, and paranoia pushed to the brink of sanity rule now. Garth Ennis delivers a modern day sci-fi masterpiece in the vein of Alien that tears you screaming from your safe place and leaves you naked before unimaginable horrors.
While that solicit is a bit pushy, there’s no denying that “Caliban” is a compelling comic. Taking an Alien-like premise and pushing it in troubling new directions, it’s making the most of its science fictional heritage.
To catch you up, the crew still hasn’t figured out how their ship and an unknown alien vessel managed to occupy the same space at the same time, but it’s proved devastating to the crew – and done some interesting things with the laws of physics. As crewmen Nomi and San attempt to interface their ship’s computer with the alien one, it’s starting to look like the influence of the other ship might already be upon them.
Despite the overall strength of the concept, and the tense, forboding atmosphere, the large cast of characters can sometimes make for confusing reading. Split off into task forces, they usually communicate by radio, making for few reminders as to which faces go with which names. It’s not a huge distraction, since our core group, at this point, has definitely been established, but it’s enough to throw off the rhythm of the storytelling here and there.
Nomi is still at the forefront, and while there are few opportunities to learn about her, she has definitely been pushed into a position of greater responsibility that she’s used to. A moment between Nomi and San, however, feels forced, if only because it tries to do too much at once, revealing new facets of both their characters at the same time. There’s a lot to like about their partnership, but its progression is a little too abrupt to be believable.
Facundo Percio’s art is still going strong, all shadowy, forboding rooms populated by high-strung people. Specifically, the attention to texture, to all the different kinds of surfaces that make up the backgrounds, really adds to the sense of entrapment. And all the while, the tendency toward close-ups and low camera angles keeps a psychological emphasis, encouraging us to really get inside these character’s heads.
The expressions tend to be all or nothing – either completely closed off or else completely terrified – but shades of subtlety do emerge in the aforementioned conversation between Nomi and San. That, and Nomi’s smirk on the first page hits just the right note.
The issue’s best – and most frightening – visual moment is one I can’t give away, except to say that Percio has an aptitude for body-horror. The precise, clinical feel of Percio’s art makes these visceral elements seem all the more surreal.
The first issue had more potential than is being capitalized on here, but “Caliban” is still an entertaining – and very scary – read. It’ll likely hold together better when collected, but it’s doing an admirable job keeping the tension high from chapter to chapter.
Final Verdict: 8.0 – Buy
