I’ve already said plenty of good things about “Harvest”, so it may not be surprising that this issue gets another “Buy” rating from me. What is surprising is how completely fresh and compelling each issue in this series has been, and how that dire feeling of tension and guilt has never once let up. “Harvest” may not exactly be a cheery read, but its consistency and commitment in portraying a desperate underground world is definitely impressive.
Written by A.J. Lieberman
Illustrated by Colin LorimerLivers, kidney and lungs oh my! Dr. Benjamin Crane is up to his elbows in blood and guts (literally) when Jason Craven finally tracks him down. Ben grabs the kidney he’s repossessed only to learn that Craven is far more sadistic and vindictive then Ben ever imagined when it comes to protecting his empire.
Dane’s revenge plot is in fuel swing, and already it’s not going off as planned — which is, of course, exactly what you would expect from a series as dark as “Harvest”. This issue has more action than the others, though, with a rooftop chase as well as bloodshed that has nothing to with surgery, and it’s clear that things are very soon going to be turning sour — well, sourer — for our skeezy main character. There also seems to be a fairly complex counter-plot brewing, this time at the expense of somebody who’s not directly involved in this world. Like I said: dark. But as the plot threads converge and the stakes get higher and higher, the strongest aspect of this issue may well be that it’s still engaging, regardless of how dire or hopeless the circumstances have gotten. We still care about Benjamin Dane, somehow, and as his situation gets worse and worse it’s hard to look away.
As for newer elements, the most interesting one in this issue may be Mariko. The daughter of a crime boss, Dane saved her life back in issue one; now that she’s back in the story, determined to help Dane out and settle her debt to him on the way, she’s revealed herself to be quite the badass. The great thing about her involvement with Dane’s trainwreck of a life, though, is that it’s not romanticized in the slightest. Her one or two remonstrations in Dane’s direction during this issue meet with the kind of appreciation you might expect from a guy like Dane, and she doesn’t push it after that. These characters are using each other because they both feel guilty, and the iciness of their interactions in this issue never lets us forget that.
As wonderful as Lorimer’s art has been so far, there are a couple of panels that don’t quite get across what they’re supposed to in this issue. As I’ve mentioned before, one of the ways this series has been making the most of its limited run is to by getting a lot of panels on each page. This tendency does take a toll on that chase scene, where a smallish panel in which Dane lands on his back after a multi-storey fall doesn’t really get across a sense of impact. That quibble aside though, Lorimer is maintaining the same level of detail and precision that has distinguished his work on this title so far, and the character work continues to hit all the right notes. Mariko is particular has a great presence to her; she actually has the appearance of someone who’s desperately mulling things over, weighing her options and calculating her chances. The result overall is eerie and unnerving as always.
All told, “Harvest” is continuing in fine fashion. By the end of this issue, Dane’s situation is stickier than ever, and it’s looking like we have a jaw-dropper of a last issue to look forward to — even if, or maybe even because, there’s zero chance that Dane is getting out of this alive. Oh, Shadowline comics. Never change.
Final Verdict: 8.3 — Buy
