SURVIVAL #1 (Spoiler-free Review)

Sean Lewis’ latest offering, Survival #1 from Dark Horse, is a mile-a-minute horror thrill ride. They are accompanied by Bryndon Everett (art), Natalie Barahona (colors), and Ed Dukeshire (letters). Survival #1 is filled with fascinating art that perfectly captures the book’s mood, startingthe remote town of Talkeetna, Alaska, shortly after a mysterious plane crashes. This is where Everett and Barahona shine like the Northern Lights. The art sets a delightful, maddening tone for Sean Lewis’ characters, whether it’s the facial expressions or the brilliant environment work. 

Emma Reed is headed home from college with some friends to see her grizzled woodsman father at their yearly veteran gathering. As we get to know her father and the company he keeps, the picture (or so we think) starts to take shape until all hell breaks loose. While Emma and her father begin triaging personnel, we are shown a clearer vision of what kind of evil Emma and Co. are up against. Sean Lewis sets the pace with a tempo that is equal parts action and horror rolled into one with a social aspect one would expect from Lewis’ writing. But don’t mistake this for just another horror comic on the shelves. While this book should not be labeled as an extreme horror story, plenty of parts will make you feel a bit uncomfortable as goosebumps settle in and you go back to re-read and stare at the panels. Good horror should fill you with an unmistakable anxious panic as the story goes on, and that’s precisely what Survival does. A great first-issue setup and a must-read for horror fans.