By Garrett Hanneken

An ominous warehouse filled with dread and those who go in do not come out the same if they come out at all. This appears to be the main focus for the series or what is to be expected, but writer Garth Ennis begins the issue with some social commentary that is much more prevalent now than ever.

The issue beings with a mass shooting at a mall and its depiction, thanks to artist Goran Sudzuka, is both chaotic and emotional. We find out that the shooter was a past witness for our main protagonists, FBI agents Shaw and McGregor, who are currently on a drug bust. It is unclear as to how the mall shooter is crucial to the plot, but it did provide Ennis a way to weave in social commentary about the matter. At last, the issue concludes with Shaw and McGregor investigating the disappearance of their colleagues who went into a warehouse but never came out.

The story itself is interesting and that is to be expected from Ennis as he his known for his uniqueness and ability to push the boundaries. Beginning the comic with a shooting had me invested within the first few pages and the commentary that followed didn’t sound preachy, but natural. Using Twitter responses in order to showcase people’s reactions is timely and having those responses escalate into a prejudicial argument is spot on.

Besides the social commentary, the plot itself doesn’t fully reveal itself, but it does keep you wanting to find out more. We don’t know what is in that warehouse and the fact that Ennis shows a SWAT team commits self-genocide after entering and exiting the place really raises the stakes.

The art of the issue did an excellent job of capturing pivotal moments. From the mass shooting at the mall to the suicidal SWAT team, we get a sense of fear from these characters. I found that artist Goran Sudzuka has a way to make us remember the faces of those that aren’t even major players and he accomplishes this by building drama through body language.

Overall, this comic was pitched as a horror comic and although it focuses more on the real horrors of today the comic seems to promise a more supernatural setting for the next issue. If you’re okay with social commentary and putting horror on the backburner for now then I suggest picking this issue up on May 16th as it shows promise to pick up the pace and fast.

SCORE: 4/5

A Walk Through Hell #1
Aftershock Comics