I’m actually glad that I waited to review Surface Tension because I think I like it more now that I’ve digested it. What stood out initially and only stands out more to me is the concept of the book. A sea sickness has swept the world and only a small percentage of the population are immune to it. Eventually everyone infected went into the water never to return and the results raised the water level around the world. Think about that, this isn’t some Water World, “the ice caps melted” scenario. The water level went up because billions of people went into the water… Aside from explaining that aspect, the story actually begins sometime after the event that changed the world. Two people have returned from the water and the island community that’s found them on their shore is a little freaked out. What does this mean for their lost loved ones and do these two survivors pose a threat? There’s even more that the story goes into when one of the survivors knows a lady on the island and tells her the secret behind how everything started.
Now there’s a lot of exposition in this first issue. Some of it feels natural, but a lot of it is stiff and very expositiony. The thing is, I kind of forgive it. It’s not unbearable and it does a great job of interesting you in the world and premise. If for some reason that’s not enough to hook you then the ending of the issue will. The ending of the issue makes it pretty clear that the time for exposition is up and that story is really going to kick off in the next issue.
Creator Jay Gunn not only writes the issue, but he also illustrates it. He does a hell of a job and you can tell that he’s finding his groove while working both sides of the issue. The art is crisp and detailed and never waivers. It’s consistent throughout the entire issue and adds a lot to the atmosphere. Especially during the third act which is basically the big reveal. That’s the first time we see the world pre-disaster and it’s very interesting visually to see everything unfold. Hell at one point the visuals steal the show so much that I’m not even sure if the characters were talking or if they even needed to.
Surface Tension is another creator owned series coming from Titan Comics this year, the other that I’m aware of is Scarlett Couture. I for one am interested to see where this series goes and hope that others will as well so that we can continue to see more creator owned series from Titan. More creator owned is a good thing, so if you’re interested in this series then make sure you pre-order it before it releases in May.
Score: 4/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: Jay Gunn Publisher: Titan Comics Price: $3.99 Release Date: 5/27/15 Format: Mini-Series; Print/Digital
If you want to hear me talk about Surface Tension some more, then check out our comic podcast the CBMFP!