Engineward #2
Vault Comics
Writer: George Mann
Artists: Joe Eisma & Michael Garland
Letters: Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Engineward is a science-fantasy comic in a world where the rabble suffers and looks to the physical embodiments of the constellations (the Celestials) for guidance and protection. However, as so often happens when the downtrodden believe someone else can be their saviors, they are dupes in a grander game. Though it is clear the protagonists are rebelling against their gods, it’s unclear what machinations the Celestials might have.
The issue opens on a cyborg head that is repeating itself over and over. It won’t shut up, and Joss has had about enough of it. It’s malfunctioning. She and Ichabod then attend the memorial of their departed friend Jarvix, and Ichabod is accused by another man of bringing Joss to the memorial who was responsible for Jarvix’s death, to begin with. It’s all quite dramatic and only increases so when one of the Celestials, Leo arrives.
There are a fair few characters in this comic that seem to have intriguing motives. There is intrigue in forgotten relics that hold power. Though what may be accomplished in recovering these relics isn’t clear, there is a certainty that the Celestials have something else planned for their subjects. While it’s surely sinister, it’s also clear Joss and Ichabod hold the cyborg head that has answers to the questions most readers will likely have. What I mean to say, is stick with it. There’s a healthy foundation here from which to launch a complex and intriguing plot with multifaceted characters.
The art doesn’t hurt on the aforementioned potential of this comic. It shines. Everything from the lines to the lettering, speech balloons to captions, everything about the visuals of this comic proclaims continuity. The speech balloons and captions are rarely something I put much attention on, but one can’t help but enjoy how well the lettering fits each circumstance and scene. Especially when Leo, the Celestial, arrives and the captions look like old parchment with old-timey letterings on them. It’s a bit post-modern in the blending of the styles. One can’t help but appreciate the medieval feeling that seeps into this science-fiction, nearly cyberpunk world.
Simply put, this is a great second issue in a new comic that shows a lot of promise in terms of characters, world, and genre-bending aesthetic. I’ll keep my eye out for #3.
