I really hope that you read last month. This review is not about bringing you up to date. This is intense stuff. If you aren’t caught up, you need to get there. Brian Wood has outdone himself this month. He’s really brought his A-game to the table. I haven’t been this emotionally tied to an issue of a comic book since the finale of Sweet Tooth. I suggest having nothing else on your to-do list for the day before starting this arc. You might want to be well fed too, because this is going to take some energy out of you. Ninth Wave takes on Norwegian Whalers. And these guys are serious. They practice in the old ways of their ancestors and don’t believe that what they’re doing is murder. And they’re willing to fight to defend their rights. But how far are they willing to go? Even more importantly, how far is Callum Israel and Ninth Wave willing to go to stop them? Callum Israel has changed. Ninth Wave is back on track with a vengeance. I’ve never seen him like this. He’s showing a chaotic kind of focus here that you don’t get to see in the other issues of this book. Calm, collected, determined and wise seem to be his characteristics in any other situation. But this time there may be more going on in his mind than ever before. His crew isn’t completely on board with the strategy that he’s decided to take in this situation, but he doesn’t care. He has definitely been possessed by a spirit from his old life.

The script this month is unbelievable. I don’t know what has gotten into Brian Wood, but I’m telling you that you will want to soak in every single word. This issue is filled with great dialogue that is laced with venomous intent. There is a revenge story going on here that you can’t miss. I’m seriously fighting the urge to chew on my nails, right now, in anticipation of the next issue. I was going to throw in a joke about how bad it is for you to bite your nails, but let’s keep this serious.

The art of Garry Brown is always good, but his character designs of the crew of The Stulka are great. He’s really hit the Norwegian look right on the head. I’m serious; I know some Norwegians and they look just like this. He draws a pretty dramatic mood overall. He does a great job of making you feel like you’re on the deck with the whalers. And not trying to give too much away, but there is a specific scene here when you really don’t want to be anywhere near these guys.

Please go out and pick this up. I really can’t urge you enough. The waters are getting darker for Ninth Wave and the crew is starting to show signs of wear and tear. And I thought that a partial mutiny was bad. Tragedy is coming. Don’t miss it.

Score: 5/5

Writer: Brian Wood Artist: Garry Brown Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Price: $2.99 Release Date: 11/27/13