Manifest Destiny #19 Review and some spoilers.

[JKtheMac]

Dingess, Roberts, and company soldier on bravely into new territory with a new arc of Manifest Destiny. The last, shocking issue clearly still echoing on the page, and indeed in the letter pages. Thankfully the background for the letters page is much more legible, even if the issue itself could perhaps have benefitted from clearer lettering. Handwriting scripts are such a tricky thing to get right, and here the earlier expedition font feels very artificial.

We finally discover details of the previous, ill-fated mission and parallels are clearly suggested by the artwork in similarities of dress and figure representation. Major Flewelling and Captain Helm were leading an expedition that was not unified in bloodshed compared to our murdourous anti-heroes. The differences are highlighted in determination and journal entry, but also in the continued scientific cataloging. Although subtle hints suggest there are still potential fault lines in Lewis and Clark's company, and their unity will doubtlessly be tested in this arc.

The arc is called Sasquatch, and already the cannibalistic themes are developing. Indeed I wonder if we will actually see such a creature, or if the story will be about the specter of that drastic solution to starvation and how it presents itself in each expedition. Cannibalism seems to have nominally unified the earlier expedition but the discovery of a strange skull in their cabin suggests they resorted to eating the fauna in a way that the current expedition has recently shunned. Which expedition will prove the more noble? Will the sasquatch prove to be a monster, a native tribe, or an analogy? This intriguing episode may suggest something more psychological is in store if the manifestation of a conquistador is more than imaginary.

[Ragdoll]

The art got really trippy in this issue, Sandman style, when that guy from the first expedition was losing his mind. I was smoking weed when reading it and those parts were pure eye-candy.
Also, that flesh-eating grass was crazy. It reminded me of the Stephen King/Joe Hill short story In The Tall Grass.

[JKtheMac]

The art got really trippy in this issue, Sandman style, when that guy from the first expedition was losing his mind. I was smoking weed when reading it and those parts were pure eye-candy.
Also, that flesh-eating grass was crazy. It reminded me of the Stephen King/Joe Hill short story In The Tall Grass.

Really? Didn't think it was that trippy. I guess it got a little colorful and abstract. Personally I thought talking blue parrot/bear creatures were more weird. The big question is why is Helm seeing things. If it was a monster story, it would remind me of the first ever Alien comic, where the proximity to the xenomorphs made people hallucinate. But maybe there is something in the food chain, which is a little gruesome when that chain includes your own comrades.

[JKtheMac]

Well the previews of the next couple of front covers appear to answer at least a couple of my questions.

[keeen]

I don't want to undersell the writing, because I think Dingess has done a great job characterizing a huge cast and running them through some fantastic trials with realistically blurred moral lines, but Matthew Roberts (and the art team in general) has been phenomenal on every issue.

We finally discover details of the previous, ill-fated mission and parallels are clearly suggested by the artwork in similarities of dress and figure representation.

Those two pages that kind of book-ended the issue, showing the first expedition being slaughtered by different animals and plants, followed by our protagonists easily besting these obstacles, was absolutely brilliant in terms of how much it conveyed in each panel. Lewis and Clark were trawling for the same man-eating prawns that capsized the others' ship, lol.

The art got really trippy in this issue, Sandman style, when that guy from the first expedition was losing his mind.

Yeah, that page was great. I thought it could even be a different artist, but he's just experimenting with abstract layouts I guess.

I love this book. I hope it runs forever. Or just comes back every couple years with a miniseries, please.

[Dr. Cheesesteak]

trying to remember if i saw this in my pull box last i went to my LCS that has all my pulls (I was a few weeks behind and only kept about a dozen in the box, but forget if this was in there...). I may have to hunt for it. Sounds interesting so far. Happy to see it return.

[JKtheMac]

@kreeen
While it is very true the art is really great and conveys so much of the story, it is also very likely the kind of mirroring we see in this issue is being scripted to some extent. I believe Dingess is well aware of the kinds of detail and subtle sub-text that Roberts can convey in his panels and is giving him really juicy stuff to draw. In other words this collaboration is top draw and getting better.

[cc008]

I like how we got to see a lot more of the first expedition in this issue.. and seeing the Lewis and Clark expedition take almost the same route and tackle things so much easier, like keeen said above. Nice bit of story-telling.

[keeen]

@kreeen
While it is very true the art is really great and conveys so much of the story, it is also very likely the kind of mirroring we see in this issue is being scripted to some extent. I believe Dingess is well aware of the kinds of detail and subtle sub-text that Roberts can convey in his panels and is giving him really juicy stuff to draw. In other words this collaboration is top draw and getting better.

You're absolutely right

[JKtheMac]

You're absolutely right

Indeed, to generalise, this is a phenomenon that Image have cultivated and is bearing fruit right now across both their line and influencing Marvel. The marriage of writer and artist in collaboration to tell a solid story with a unified vision, often in conjunction with a trusted colourist that understands the tone of the book.

It is remarkabe how many books conform to this right now, all highly influenced by Image books from the recent past. Comics are comming into full bloom right now. It is exiting to be living through an era that will be looked back upon as a historic turning point in an industry.