“We’ll make Pan’s kids like you…we’ll make the little buggers love you!”

I only knew Schismatic from that wonderfully handsome Fanbase Press Contributor Simply Jack and his winning smile, and now I’ve gotten the chance to check it out for myself.  The third issue of this excellently told tale is where we’re getting into the meat of the adventure, and Riolobo comes into his own with his causal and snarky demeanor, giving way to a mostly competent hero once the excrement hits the fan.  Idris and Amalia have been doggedly trying to find their children, and they’re finally on their way to determine their fate.  The question is, will what they discover at the end of their quest fill the hole in their hearts or tear it wider than can ever be repaired?

Sci-fi is chock full of harebrained ideas that never seem to get much traction to tell a cohesive story, so to find a tale like this that engages the reader so much is fantastic.  Every moving part works towards the unified storyline, and being locked into the narrative with just the two protagonists (The only division in action was when the two were split up in the previous issue.) ensures that we only find things out along with them, so every twist and turn is something you feel in your gut.  Andrew Adams has a complete view of what the story he’s telling is, and while the reader may not have a clue as to what they’re in for, I feel confident that the plot will reward anyone who reads it.

Rachael Briner lends her considerable talent on the art side of this series.  She knows how to pace the action with the script marvelously, as well as having an uncanny knack for setting up splash pages that make them unexpected and much more effective for being so.  It’s a talent that’s not always appreciated, but when it works well, it’s an undeniably cool experience for the reader.  She keeps action fluid and allows for stillness when it’s most effective, and her character work makes the story truly comes alive.

This is a really solid team making one hell of a book. It’s got the pop and surprise that you’ll sometimes miss in more established and entrenched characters, where only a sudden death can surprise you anymore. (With that state being as negotiable as it has been for the Big Two, it’s exciting to drop into a place where things feel a mite more dangerous, because you really could lose anyone at any time.)  This is a must read for people who like their action with a little horror and morality thrown in.

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