It’s a new arc and a new zone for the conglomerate of explorers that have made their way into the isolated lands of the United States of America. From inside the wall, our team has faced many dangers, seen new creatures, and a land unlike any other. After the United States went dark, cutting itself off from the rest of the world, the country has become unrecognizable to those who weren’t inside when the isolation began. During their trek through the first portion of “The Spiral,” the expedition group faced down the Mad Max-like wastes of the Destiny Man and his bloodthirsty crew and managed to barely escape with their lives. Now, the team finds themselves in the second zone of the new United States, Zone Unity. While we’ve barely scratched the surface of what Unity has to offer our protagonists, it looks much different from the barren lands of Destiny, and potentially even more treacherous.

This issue is a lot of fun, as we begin to explore new portions of the isolationist U.S., as well as learn about a little bit of the history that got the country to its current status. From the presence of a national government to the seeds of how the landscape got to where it is, there is a lot to learn from these glimpses into the past.

Charles Soule and Scott Snyder have laid out a very distinctive path for this series, and it’s one that is very interesting to begin to walk down. Following this crew of international explorers into the depths of what our nation has become is fascinating, and their combined acumen as writers make it all the more believable, terrifying, and full of intrigue. It’ll be very fun to see where this new arc goes and to see the rest of the zones that make up this nation.

Artist and co-creator Guiseppe Camuncoli is doing an incredible job with such an out-of-the-box series. He, along with Soule and Snyder, have created an incredible landscape of a new world, intentionally separated from the rest of the globe. Around each new page is something different to discover, and it’s been quite a sight thus far. Teaming with Camuncoli is artist Leonardo Marcello Grassi, as well as renowned colorist Matt Wilson, who create a team of very gifted people making a very appealing title.

What really sets this series apart from others in the current marketplace, however, is how apt it is, intentional or not. In certain settings, this premise feels ripped from the headlines, not for its desolate wastelands or haunting new wildlife, but because the idea of this series rings true. Isolation, especially in this current moment, is the item of the day, both for the common populace and for the nation as a whole. While we’re not currently going radio silent from the rest of the world, it feels that way quite often, making this series something that I can really relate to on an emotional level. Seeing this group work together and apart, with and against each other as they explore their new reality, is a concept we are dealing with on a daily basis, making this series both hard to read and something of a revelation. As this series continues to build its own history, it will be compelling to see if those feelings hold or if this series begins to feel more like an escape.

Creative Team: Charles Soule, Scott Snyder (writers), Guiseppe Camuncoli, Leonardo Marcello Grassi (artists), Matt Wilson (colors)
Publisher: Image Comics
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