As Honeysuckle, Marc, and Templeton walk to Denver, they come upon a police officer who is using convicts to help clear the road of bodies.

He updates them on the latest news about the rain, claiming it was the brainchild of chemists working for a former U.S. company in the once Soviet-held state of Georgia. Whether it is true or not, we don’t really know. Their conversation is cut short when a convict kills him and forces Honeysuckle into choosing the death of Templeton or driving him to Canada.  Obviously, Honeysuckle agrees to drive him, but things don’t go quite as the convict plans. Using a story Yolanda told her about an event in her childhood, Honeysuckle musters up the anger and courage to crash the vehicle and save herself. Now, her sole goal is to get to Denver and find Dr. Rusted, but what awaits her is not something anyone would have expected.

What impresses me the most about this story is how well the voice-over adds depth, subtext, and backstory to Honeysuckle’s character.  Several times, she uses it to bolster her courage and/or inform her actions, as well as give the reader an idea of where the character is coming from and her motivations. Writer David M. Booher gives us just enough detail about what’s happening in the wider world without it overwhelming the main storyline.  Regarding the art, I personally prefer a more realistic style, but the work done by Zoe Thorogood is perfect for this world. The art is harsh and brittle, like you could snap off a piece of the killer rain. I do want to add some kudos to the letterer for giving us those great background SFX of impending doom.

There is a common saying that adversity build character. I’d posit that adversity shows us who we really are or need to be to survive just as Honeysuckle is learning.

Creative Team: Joe Hill (story), David M. Booher (adaptation), Zoe Thorogood (artist) Chris O’Halloran (colorist), Shawn Lee (letterer)
Publisher: Image Comics
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