No, this isn't the adaptation of Star Trek VI you were hoping for. That's what it isn't. So what is it? Well, its a bunch of stuff, starting with great. And a bit desperate. And seemingly way crazier than what its publisher needs it to be. So let's break it down.


Thirty years ago, America sealed itself off from the world. A wall, a much bigger wall, and an air wall were all built to keep people in as much as keep other people out. Now, three decades later, the rest of the world lies in ruin. Disease, rampant incurable disease, has ravaged the population down to about six months worth of people. America pops its head back into the mix offering a cure IF the rest of the world behaves and does as its told. (HOX/POX anyone? Magneto could be the American leader here.) A team is assembled, they had for the states, and then all manor of craziness breaks loose.


So, that's good, right? Creator owned book, high-concept, that should move some units. That's the kick- Image NEEDS to move some units. Wicked & Divine, Walking Dead, and Paper Girls have all ended. Not hiatus. Ended. Saga? It will probably come back at some point, but its not happening before February 2020 at the earliest. Bringing in a top flight team of Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, and Giuseppe Camuncoli is the right way to go after a larger audience. They SHOULD have a hit on their hands.


But...it is SO Mad Maxianly weird when they get to America that it seems difficult for me to believe that this will be a giant appealing mainstream indy hit that they need it to be. That's a good thing from a creative standpoint. When you've got people riding fish across the plains and bison eating human feet, you're probably on to something worth reading. I am, in fact, trying to get you to read this because of these things, not in spite of them. But if you are an 'in spite of them' reader, I'm encouraging you to give it a try as well. Just don't be surprised when it is odder than described here.