The Domain #3 // Review
He’s got white skin and four eyes which glow red from behind the grill of the police van. He probably realizes that he might come across as being intimidating. He assures that he understands that they are only doing their jobs. They won’t kill anyone. That’s what the other alien says too. The one with the insectoid head and a lipless mouth full of canine teeth? He says he’s not going to kill any of the people who have captured him. But he also says there are others whop will in The Domain #3. Writer Chip Zdarsky continues a fun, little alien invasion superhero story with artist Rachael Stott and colorist Eren Angiolini.
The one with the insectoid head has been captured by people who now possess some very seriously powerful alien tech. Evidently that tech had been transported by him and his colleagues when they got attacked. And now the stolen tech makes them targets for some very vicious invaders who won’t have any problem with killing all of them to get ahold of it. Of course...the alien in question is saying all of this while being totally tied-up against his will, so there’s really no telling what might happen if they decide to trust him.
What if a group of people had to share super powers that they might use to serve their own purposes? Zdarsky poses the question and then rushes through a series of questions that continue to explore it from a simple set of different angles. All too often there’s sort of a binary situation in the superhero genre. If powers are presented to those who want to use them to help others, they become superheroes. If powers are presented to those who want to help themselves, they become supervillains. Zdarsky plays it in the middle with an ensemble of people who WANT to do good things, but don’t always work for the best interests of everyone. Very relatable.
There is a deep emotional connection in the writing that resonates quite well In the faces and postures of the heroes thanks to very clever an intricate work by Stott and Angiolini. It’s a sharp and clever blend of traditional superhero action with deeper emotional realities that are meant to reflect a much more earthbound and intimately human reality than much of the genre is attempting to address. The result is something that manages a bit more intricacy than much of what passes for depth in mainstream superhero comics.
The work is remarkably fresh for something that feels a bit like a cheesy cross between The Greatest American Hero, Star Brand and...maybe The Terminator. Zrarsky and company are playing with tropes that have been kicking around the medium for decades. They’re doing so in a way that feels distinctly new. There’s a remarkably strong narrative voice that’s echoing through the pages of the first three issues of the series that feels refreshing without completely reinventing the genre. It’s fun and it’s affecting.
Grade: A
