Manifest Destiny has been a real fun take on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, covering the more interesting "alternate" telling of the history books, telling the story where the party has been dealing with bizarre creatures and strange happenings. Issue #4 found the crew trapped at the wasted French settlement of La Charette and in desperate need to return to their ship as a zombie plant virus has infected one of their own. This issue follows the escape from the settlement and the party's return to land to find the plant zombies, confront them, and destroy them. Part of Lewis and Clark's "other" mission is also to clear the land of unhealthy paranormal intrusions, of which the zombie plant virus would be a textbook example. There is a nice surprise in this issue as well as Lewis and Clark have a strong and ancient weapon to help in their fight.

Matthew Roberts’ artwork continues to draw into a strong tapestry of part classic history and part spooky campfire tale that blends in well with Charles Dingess' no nonsense script. I remain impressed, but feel like a little was missing from this issue. With every preceding issue, we were like the explorers themselves, encountering new an unusual things. Here, there is really no new thing. Just the plant zombies, again. Okay, there are some surprises to the plant zombies and their infection rate. But it wasn't as awe-inspiring as say bison headed centaur types like we have seen in this series previously.

I am going to chalk this issue up as a push. It was one "blah" issue in a series thus far of some exceptional storytelling. I feel positive though that things will work out and that Dingess and Roberts will return to form in future issues. It still is a fantastic series and is a great alternative to the superhero stuff that is everywhere else.

Score: 3/5

Writer: Charles Dingess Artist: Matthew Roberts Publisher: Image/Skybound Entertainment Price: $2.99 Release Date: 3/12/14