Descender #2 Review

Can this emotional sci-fi story continue to astound? Or was it too good to be true? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

As the brutal robot hunting Scrappers close in on TIM-21, the events that first brought him to the mining colony on the outer edges of space are revealed.

Science fiction seems to be the place to be in comics as of late, as with all the wonderful new series centred around this genre, it’d be hard not to find one of them on your pull. For this fanboy, Descender definitely is among the best this crop has to offer, with the beautiful landscape of Niyrata, and emotional depth of child companion robot, Tim-21 having this reader hooked.

Moving things forward, writer Jeff Lemire delivers an emotionally charged tale, centred around this loveable robot. Exploring his former life as a companion bot, whilst also showing him getting chased by scavengers in the present, Lemire certainly allows for an immersive tone, with the thrilling sense of drama having this reader hooked. It is however the emotional depth within this script that captivates the most, as between the tense series of events, we get to see how a family can bring hope and emotion to this lonely little robot.

Dustin Nguyen‘s art is nothing short of phenomenal, with the beautiful painted colours, and marvellous pencils being a true joy to witness. That being said, it’s the veteran’s storytelling skills that really impress, with the smooth, yet stylish layouts more than capturing the eye. He also manages to give an invigorating sense of innocence towards Tim-21, as even when he’s kicking ass and taking names, he still seems to have a sense of goodness towards him. The different palette’s Nguyen uses between past and present also helps differentiate between the two, with the more soft, washed out texture of the flashbacks really standing out.

Descender #2 may not be quite as enthralling as it’s opening issue, but that doesn’t stop it from being a must have. This emotional tale is a testament to the creative team, with the innocent, yet intuitive mindset of Tim-21 being magnificent. The dramatic tempo, and exciting action also allows for an intense flair, with the gripping climax being nothing more than an added bonus.