Comic Review: Dark Spaces: Wildfire #1

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artists: Hayden Sherman & Ronda Pattison

Letterer: Andworld Design

Scott Snyder is full of wild concepts that tend to play with the line between horror and action. Snyder’s latest big concept seems to lean more towards the action-filled side of the spectrum, but the idea still has plenty of potential for thrills and maybe even scares. Dark Space: Wildlife #1 is the debut to a new five part miniseries with artist Hayden Sherman, colorist Ronda Pattison. Andworld Design handles this issue’s letters.

In Dark Spaces, Snyder introduces readers to a group of inmates who work as firefighters in exchange for a painfully small prison wage. Ma, the leader of the group, is the character that readers get to learn about most in this issue. Ma’s history and how she got here is revealed, and Snyder does an excellent job of making the protagonist easy to connect to. She is loyal to a fault, and is the type to put her job and crew over her own well-being.

This is a slower Snyder issue, focusing on the characters and their dynamics. By the end of the issue, its clear that there will be an attempt at a heist, with a brutal California wildfire in the background. The emphasis on the characters rather than this plot results in Snyder teasing the reader with what’s to come, which is almost guaranteed to end tragically. It’s one of the Snyder’s best hooks in recent memory, which says a lot about a writer who is known for strong starts.

As strong as the script is in Dark Spaces: Wildfire #1 is, Hayden Sherman and Ronda Pattison are the duo that elevates this story. This is the second review this week featuring Sherman’s art, who also drew the excellent looking Above Snakes #1. Like Above Snakes, Dark Spaces looks superb, with great character designs, expressions, and environments. There isn’t much action in this issue, but every panel moves along smoothly thanks to great sequential art. Creative isn’t a word that fully conveys how special the panel layouts are. This is an issue that looks great and reads well from front to back.

Ronda Pattison’s colors are fiery, with tons of reds, oranges, and purples that establish the mood. Despite all of the exposition in this issue, the stakes feel high. Even during info dumps, there is always the sense of urgency thanks to the palette choices on the pages. Andworld Design completes the aesthetic with simple lettering that occasionally shouts at the reader during loud moments. The loud moments are particularly strong thanks to the combination of art and lettering.

Dark Space: Wildlife #1 is one of Snyder’s slowest, yet strongest debuts. The cast is invigorating, the premise hooks, and the aesthetics are gorgeous. Anyone interested in heist or prison-break stories will want to check this one out.