Great Pacific #3 Review


When we last saw Chas Worthington, he was in imminent danger of drowning beneath the garbage patch. This issue he wakes up safe and sound, with his salvation chalked up to ocean currents. Not the most exciting beginning. Here’s the official description of Great Pacific #3 from Image:

“TRASHED!” Part Three
Lost and alone, surveilled from above by forces unrevealed, on the run from hostile natives out to avenge their murdered brother, and stalked from below by the monstrous octopus, Yalafath, Chas Worthington scuttles his quest to tame and settle The Pack as merely surviving becomes the hardest task of all.

Joe Harris’ story takes an introspective turn this issue, as Chas faces a desperate situation, considers his mistakes, and contemplates his family history. The family elements may bear interesting fruit down the line, but right now Chas’ narration is less than gripping. A new character joins the cast, which should be a welcome addition, but so little about them is revealed that I can’t form an opinion yet. They’re French, so there’s that.

I feel terrible when I criticize Martín Morazzo’s art. I mean, look at that cover. Look at it. Look at the detail. It’s incredible. And the entire book is like that. He might be using some kind of digital magic to make drawing all that trash easier, but I sure as heck can’t see it.

And yet, the book’s visuals grow harder to appreciate with each issue. For all that we can see the thousands of different pieces making up the garbage patch, it’s artistically homogeneous. It creates a boring landscape that’s only made less interesting by the endless rectangular panels. Morazzo tries to spice things up by drawing the characters from different angles, but he only has so many options. Ultimately it’s not even his fault: the story needs to introduce more unique elements or variations to the setting than the occasional airplane or mutant octopus.

Great Pacific #3 plants some seeds that could prove interesting later on, but if you’ve been on the fence about this series you may not have the patience to stick it out much longer. Especially if Martín Morazzo doesn’t get more to work with.

3/5

 

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