The Twilight Zone #4 is written by Nate Powell and published by IDW Publishing. Artwork is by Nate Powell. Main cover art (left) is by Nate Powell.
The Twilight Zone #4 is available from today, in comic book stores and on digital platforms where all good comic books are sold. Grab your physical copy from Forbidden Planet or digitally from Amazon Comixology UK.
Synopsis
When Laura takes her abrasive brother, Chet, on a birthday vacation, their relationship is already wobbling on its last leg. A loving sister and her devoted boyfriend will try—desperately and one final time—to salvage a relationship with a once-loving little brother now grown to be a hateful young man. But when all three are plunged into worlds of their deepest desires, will they even want to find each other once again?
Review
So far, The Twilight Zone comic series has not disappointed when it comes to delivering strong horror or sci-fi-themed stories. Now, with ‘FALSE BOTTOM’, Nate Powell offers something a little bit different but rewarding nonetheless.
Though it is great seeing writers take full advantage of the wild concepts The Twilight Zone can bring, it’s a refreshing change to see Powell go for a more character-driven approach for his story. Going for this style can be tricky within the anthology format, as you only have this one opportunity to get readers to connect with your protagonists, but thankfully, due to a solid premise and Powell’s confident execution, ‘FALSE BOTTOM’ definitely makes it work.
Powell gets straight to the point, immediately establishing the main problem at hand and the relationship between these characters just from the opening page. The bickering between Laura and Chet bounces from playful to harsh with each panel, and it lays the groundwork of their rocky relationship right away. During these initial tensions, Powell isn’t afraid to add a little political context for why Chet is the way he is. Through a single line of dialogue, we understand where his mindset comes from; it doesn’t justify his actions by any means, but it helps us grasp why he acts the way he does.
The artwork also does a fantastic job of emphasising the emotions of the characters as well as driving the horror elements in the latter half of the story. The shadows are heavily exaggerated for both the characters and backgrounds, adding an immediate sense of dread even during the more mundane conversations. You know something bad is around the corner, you’re just not sure how or when it will happen.
The pacing and overall structure of this story is spot on as well. The way it plays on the growing tensions between these characters and uses that to play around with expectations is handled so effortlessly here. The paranoia as Chet explores this parallel shadow version of their houseboat is brilliantly matched with the initial confusion of Laura and her boyfriend. The panic is then turned up to the max in its closing pages as the reality of the situation hits an emotional gut punch, resulting in one of the bleakest endings in The Twilight Zone series yet.
‘FALSE BOTTOM’ is a much-needed change of pace for The Twilight Zone, as it offers something with a bit more depth than some of the more straightforward stories we’ve had to date. It may not have the same sci-fi sensibilities as something like ‘BLANKS’ or be nowhere near as playful as ‘THE RELIC’, but for what it’s worth, ‘FALSE BOTTOM’ stands strong on its own merits and is even better because of it.
Verdict
Compared to previous issues, ‘FALSE BOTTOM’ is possibly the bleakest and most emotionally resonant story this series has offered yet. Powell’s blend of down-to-earth character drama mixed with horror sensibilities and an exaggerated art style makes this a genuinely powerful instalment.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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