3 out of 5

I’ll admit it: I normally flip through Manifest issues before reading them to see what new monsters are in store for that arc… and so I was a bit unmotivated to jump into this volume due to what seemed to be a lack of newness.  There hasn’t been a particular baddie that’s demanded a repeat, as they’re all extensions of the more compelling mystery of the arches; so it was to my underwhelment that we seemed to be returning to the plant zombies… and the minotaurs… And, well, everything we’ve seen previously.

And I may have already spoiled things for you as this pre-flip through did for me: once you see this plethora of what’s-come-before, and the insidious fog that has sneaked into the fort our intrepid crew has just built, you get the gist.  Which is a backwards justification for how great Chris Dingess is at working this material, because even knowing what’s what – and pretty much guessing how things will resolve – its still an exciting read.  Our characters have been so well defined by this point that we can circle around the camp and connect with everyone’s plight, also making the forever-high stakes regarding survival effectively thrilling.

Matt Roberts’ and Owen Gieni’s art is – as always – the other half of this delicious, paper pie, creating the sense of space and chaos to further sell these tales.  The initial issues in this arc look fantastic – a gorgeous range of colors and nuance – but if want a quick lesson in the powers that inkers weild, lament with me the downtick in quality that occurs when Stefano Gaudiano leaves Tony Akins on his inking lonesome: line work becomes dashier and less detailed; the pages have less weight.

In general, I’d also say the arc somewhat falls apart in the end.  The clusterfuck used to resolve things seems unnecessarily complicated, but there is a badass final twist that promises interesting stuff in the next issues.

Still a fun read.  I remain a dedicated, eager reader.  Onward!