APPROBATION COMICS
STORY: B. Alex Thompson – @ApproBAT
ART: Ricardo Mendez
COLORS: Alivón Ortiz
LETTERS: Krugos
EDITOR: Denise Thompson
MISC. ART: Cesar Grego with Alivon Ortiz
COVER: Gleidson Ribeiro and Victor Maya with Alivon Ortiz
32pp, Color, $4.99 U.S. (2020)
Rated: “M” for Mature
“The Stone and the Shell” Part 2 of 2
Surfacing is a comic book franchise created by B. Alex Thompson and published by Approbation Comics. The four-issue miniseries, Surfacing: Depth Perceptions, focuses on a series of encounters, sometimes violent, between humans and mermaid-like creatures. The eponymous Surfacing is an anthology series in which each issue offers a story in which a mermaid finds herself trapped in the world of humans. Besides Thompson, artist Ricardo Mendez; colorist Alivon Ortiz; and letterer Krugos currently comprise Surfacing's creative team.
The latest chapter in the saga of Surfacing is “The Stone and the Shell.” It is set two million years ago, on a Savannah, likely somewhere in eastern Africa. This is the home of a tribe of Homo erectus/ergaster (called the “tree folk” in this story). Kon is a member of the tribe. He is exceptionally good at making tools and at fishing, but in a tribe of fierce hunters, Kon's talents are seen as weaknesses. It does not help that Kon has webbed feet, which also makes the other tree folk suspicious of him. However, Kon encounters a beautiful young woman, “Int” of the “water folk.” Meeting Int will change Kon's life, but what will it do to his relationship his own people?
Surfacing #6 opens as Int introduces Kon to her people, the “water folk.” Obviously, they are suspicious of Kon and his intentions, as well as being wary of Kon's people, the “tree folk.” Still, they welcome him into the tribe, but everything is not on the “up and up.” And some transgressions can never be forgiven.
THE LOWDOWN: As much as I enjoyed the miniseries, Surfacing: Depth Perceptions, I find myself really enjoying Surfacing, which showcases some of writer B. Alex Thompson's most imaginative writing. The fifth and sixth issues of Surfacing present a big shift from the usual Surfacing tales.
Thompson's imagination gives us a story set in eastern Africa (likely modern day Kenya) during the Early Pleistocene. That story offers a different kind of character, a complicated man who has troubles in his native world and who ends up caught between two worlds. The Stone and the Shell” also emphasizes the familiarity of family conflict and romantic discovery, which allows the readers to recognize Kon and, perhaps, to place themselves in his life. Thompson makes every page of this story intriguing, and like Part 1, Part 2 always has at least one thing on each page that makes me curious and want to know more about this story and its setting.
Artist Ricardo Mendez has proved to be a perfect collaborator for Thompson in this writer-artist team. In “The Stone and the Shell,” Mendez creates a beautiful prehistoric pastoral world that is as interesting as the main story. As he did in the first part, Mendez deftly tells this second chapter of “The Stone and the Shell” via his figure drawings of the characters, which give the story a sense of naturalism. Alivon Ortiz's muted colors allow the emotions of the characters to stand out in the story. Krugos' lettering and sound effects are also muted, but are “pitch-perfect” for this chapter's emphasis on betrayal.
I highly recommend Surfacing #6, just as I did for issue #5. Surfacing is like nothing else you will find in mainstream, alternative, or indie comics, so please, dive into this.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of fantasy comic books published by DC Comics' late imprint, Vertigo, will want to read Surfacing.
A
9 out of 10
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
https://twitter.com/ApproBAT
www.ApprobationComics.com
www.AlexThompsonWriter.com
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