Nothing lives beyond the wall—nothing good, that is. And Rose will do whatever it takes to keep herself and her daughter safe from what lurks on the other side.

From the star-studded team that brought the comics community Descender, Ascender, and Little Monsters comes another outstanding entry. The tale takes place in a post-apocalyptic world blanketed by a suffocating pall of gray, where society survives within the confines of an overbearing concrete wall surrounding all sides. Everyone works at the Factory to stay inside, and Rose, our main character, is no different. She struggles to give her daughter, Ava, a good life amidst the bleakness outside the walls. But what exactly lives on the fringes of civilization? And is it too late to stop it?

There’s nothing Lemire succeeds in more than character writing, and this story is another prime example. Out of the gate, we’re met with a powerful introduction to not only our protagonist, but the world of Crowbound. Lemire treats the environment as its own player in the game, dedicating a considerable number of pages to splashes with minimal lettering, allowing the scenery to speak for itself. He balances the tightrope of comic writing with skill and elegance, never overshadowing the artwork.

Speaking of artwork, I’ve always been a watercolor enthusiast, and Nguyen brings his brilliant talent front and center in this first issue. There’s a compelling mixture of gray, blue, and red shades that illustrates a focus on the setting, never veering off the beaten path to brighter pastures. Nguyen understands, at a foundational level, the attention to color theory necessary for a story like Crowbound; this is shaping up to be far from a happy story, and there will be no tints of joy to paint our cast of characters with. Accompanying the coloring is a stunning ink-wash feel to each panel, rendering the universe at hand in a way that is authentic to its grim temperament.

Crowbound #1 plants its feet firmly in the post-apocalyptic mud, concretizing as yet another step in the wake of Lemire and Nguyen’s journey to becoming comics’ hardest-working duo.

Creative Team: Jeff Lemire (writer), Dustin Nguyen (artist/main cover/variant cover), Steve Wands (letterer/designer), Eric Harburn (editor), Jeffrey Alan Love (variant cover), Martin Simmonds (variant cover), Peach Momoko (variant cover)
Publisher: Image Comics
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