White Sky #3 is written by William Harms and published by Image Comics. Artwork is by JP Mavinga, colours by Lee Loughridge and letters by Ed Dukeshire. Main cover art (left) is by JP Mavinga.
White Sky #3 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
On the run from a group of bloodthirsty scavengers, Violet and Walter start the journey toward San Francisco. But safety seems impossibly far as hundreds of ravenous spirits descend on them. In the meantime, David, who’s being held prisoner, begins to plot his escape.
Review
So far, White Sky has proven itself to be a consistently engaging post-apocalyptic series within its genre. It may have its occasional shortcomings and can feel familiar to other films, TV shows and comics that have come before, but for the most part, this has been a series that has delivered on its initial premise…and this third issue is where it really comes into its own.
Starting in the heat of the action, we witness a horde of ghosts wreak havoc on the scavengers who were chasing Walter and Violet. This set piece is a fantastic way to throw readers back into the fold, going from graphic and intense to suspenseful in a heartbeat. This is also where the artwork really shines, as the sight of these ghosts raining down and attacking the scavengers is hauntingly stunning whilst being incredibly visceral. All of this is captured in a breathtaking double-page spread that opens the issue.
The violence and horror outside are juxtaposed with Violet and Walter hiding in a nearby truck, a moment which gently amps the suspense further just through visual storytelling. Violet’s instincts kick in as she cares for Walter, and his memory comes back. We are also given a little bit more insight into Walter’s abilities and the uncertainty of them, raising just as many questions for these characters as it does for us as readers.
Though the focus of the series is very much on Violet and her journey to find her dad, Harms takes the opportunity in this issue to highlight a small moment between the scavengers of all people. What can make post-apocalyptic stories, or any story for that matter, more engaging and grounded is if they choose to show the world’s impact on individuals who aren’t the protagonist. We get a small moment here between two scavengers, one who is rotting alive, as they stay hidden from the aftermath of the ghost attack. This is a tender and sombre moment that is brutal in execution but helps reinforce the bleak nature of this world, showing how little hope is left among those who are still alive.
The closing page of this issue acts as a rather ambiguous epilogue, which did throw me off, as this isn’t the last issue. This page sees a ghostly, skeletal figure with blonde hair walking through the snowy ruins. What this means for future instalments, or who exactly this figure is, yet to be answered, but it poses interesting potential for the where this series could go.
For those who may have thought this series was starting to drag, I can tell you now that White Sky #3 is what you’ve been waiting for. The artwork, once again, does a lot of the heavy lifting here, but it’s prevalent with this issue that Harms is embracing the storytelling possibilities of his own concept more and more as this series goes on.
Verdict
White Sky #3 is where the concept of this series really comes into full effect. With palpable tension, great character work and a truly intense set piece at the centre of it all, this issue showcases everything the series has been working towards since day one.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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