The Massive #1

Brian Wood is one of the best politically-driven writers of comics in the business today. His work on DMZ and Local, in particular, have showcased his ability to take large societal themes and boil them down to stories that can resonate with the reader on a personal level.

In The Massive, Wood asks a rather disturbing question: "What does it mean to be an environmentalist after the world's already ended?"

The world itself in Wood's story has not so much ended as it has been brought to the brink of ecological extinction—storms, earthquakes, oil spills. It is the aftermath of not just one survivable catastrophe but the horrible conjunction of so many horrifying scenarios as to nearly boggle the mind.

This is every environmental horror story mashed into one. Its premise seems ripped from the very headlines, with stories of tsunamis, massive animal die-offs, and a shifting geological landscape being all-too-familiar to anyone whose morning news-browsing moves beyond the political and sports pages.

To explore this world, Wood introduces us to the crew of the Kapital, a vessel operated by the Ninth Wave, an environmental activist group whose members have somewhat questionable pasts. What is their quest? To find the Massive, their sister ship, missing for the past several months after they lost contact in a storm.

The first issue spends much of its time introducing us to the people and the dystopian world that Wood has crafted around them. The crew of the Kapital are the people most likely to find an answer to The Crash, but they are missing something. Their sister ship, The Massive, is a floating factory. If there are any governments left, and it does seem that there are, then the vessel would be a glorious prize for any of them.

Callum Israel, the captain of the Kapital, is a study in contradictions. Despite his violent past, his stated intent is to run a pacifist organization. He seems oddly uncertain of himself at times, which is only natural in this Crashed world, but at moments seems to be in complete calculating control of himself and his situation. His very name evokes a people of the journey.

Where Callum Israel will lead his wayward group of tree-hugging do-gooders is yet to be seen, but the view is certain to be terrifying. They wander a world gone wrong. It is a place of sunken cities, wandering pirate bands, and uncertain allegiances.

In addition to searching for The Massive, the members of Ninth Wave are seeking an answer to what caused the crash. Whether this turns out to be simply the collective failure of humanity to address the major concerns facing the environment or something more sinister will surely be central to Wood's narrative. One thing is certain, this desolate world is anything but gentle, so a malicious motive for its destruction would be in keeping with the general feel of the piece.

The color palette is well chosen to evoke this sense of desolation. The dismal grays, yellows, and blues give a sense of a world that is sick and dying. It seems almost washed out, as if the clouds are allowing only the faintest hints of light to penetrate. It does feel somewhat flat in places with a lot of the textures seeming overused and might have benefited from some additional shading. All in all, however, the art serves the piece quite well.

The Massive is a complex book, and will take multiple reads to fully grasp. As with most of Wood's work, a great deal of the meat is in the subtext and the information contained within the news items from within the universe. Reading these is worth your time, as it gives tremendous insight into how the crew of the Kapital are viewed.

While "Massive #1" may seem like a tough read the first time around, it is clear that Wood is building towards something big. Given his past successes, this book should be on the top of your pull list and deserves a re-read or three before the second issue hits next month.

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