4 out of 5

From book-length rollerblading duels to, one book later, massive plot upheavals and reveals – such is the rewarding journey of Alone, which writer Fabien Vehlmann has successfully extended across these many volumes as a Lost / Leftovers-esque journey through memory and the supernatural, never disappointing with the way things evolve (and/or get weirder and more interesting!)

There’s probably some potential for disappointment, here, as we finally get some very concrete aspects of the lore spelled out, but I’d say Alone has had this stuff blended in as soon as we started seeing The Monolith and exploring the families, making the difference from a Lost that it’s never felt like this is being made up as we go along – it all fits together well, even if that is / was the case – and as compared to The Leftovers, while there’s definitely space to think on some aspects of the story, it’s a very physical and ultimately linear one.

Saying much about what happens in this volume would equate to massive spoilers – it’s definitely one of the issues where every scene is important – but I’ll only add a criticism I’ve added in other similarly paced volumes: when so many big things happen, it can feel like they’re not given their feel due. One of Alone’s strengths is in not dawdling, but one particular character turnaround seems to happen too quickly. …Although maybe that will come back around, who knows.

Otherwise, the only other downside is that this may suggest we’re getting closer to an ending, and I’ve gotten so much joy from this series (and watching Gazotti and colorist Usagi grow to have their own distinct narrative language!) that it will inevitably be sad to see it go. But that it’s remained such a compelling, and very rereadable tale this whole while will outlast any such disappointment.