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Released by: Dynamite Entertainment
Released on: March 25th, 2015.
Written by: Mark Rahner
Art by: Edu Menna
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This latest issue in Dynamite's Twilight Zone line is a little more "out there" than previous entries. This two parter - "Jailbreak" - takes place on what appears to be a prison planet that's laid out like what looks like office cubicles from hell. Our focus is on a male prisoner named Lee. Right off the bat, writer Mark Rahner's narrator calls our man a poor fit for this prison but an ideal resident off the Twilight Zone. Over the course of this first part of the story we get some small clues into what's going on. Aliens (or SOMETHING), periodically abduct people in the prison group using a blue transporter beam. When they return, they appear blank-eyed and comatose. Food is delivered via asteroid looking balls that open up and deliver a gunky substance (a female prisoner tells Lee "It actually tastes good!). Prisoners are also satiated and kept docile through a machine that they can approach to "order" anything they want for amusement except weapons. Shoes (popular with the female residents), books - you name it.
Since we know the title of this story, it's a foregone conclusion where this is all headed. Prisoner Lee - who at one point actually says he has no intention of "settling in" - is planning a breakout. This issue is all a slow setup for what looks to be an interesting conclusion. The final panel has Lee deciding it's time to meet his captors. Intriguing.
Edu Menna's art and Thiago Ribeiro's coloring are both very good. Utilizing an arresting mix of off kilter greenish and blueish hues with an occasional dash of flame orange, the coloring is perfectly matched to Menna's penchant for oddly angled framing. It's all pretty nightmarish with the POV often being presented from under the characters instead of head on. The harsh focus on unflattering facial detail is also a nice touch.
Ultimately, this issue is a bit difficult to review because it is very much designed as a setup for what looks like a pretty good payoff. The good news is this looks to be a winner when it all wraps up. The bad news? You are definitely going to want to buy the next issue after ingesting this one. This isn't a standalone folks.
Recommended.
