The Wake, the latest creator-owned property from Batman/American Vampire scribe Scott Snyder, has thrown an interesting curve ball at us. The story thus far has had mainly to do with a science team coming face to face with “mermaids,” though not the sexy half-naked creatures of myth. These mermaids are deep-sea creatures with jagged teeth and a taste for human blood. Sent down to study these mermaids, the team has run afoul of them and looks to be sitting ducks. Here’s what’s interesting. The events of issue four feel like the last act of this kind of story. Snyder, and artist Sean Murphy, have six more to go. So, where is the story going?
Issue #4 opens with the team desperately trying to get back to the main hangar of their underwater sub-station. The mermaids are in hot pursuit, bearing their fangs and looking for fresh kills. The creatures are not only vicious, but also smart and in control of a bizarre psychic ability. Chaos reigns as the team attempts to swim to safety. Dr. Archer, the main focus of the story, watches as fellow member Cruz is ripped apart.
As sci-fi stories go, most of them end with a confrontation between the human protagonist and the creature looking to do them harm. In The Wake #4, the confrontation happens and little is resolved. Using the sonic devastation caused by turning the gigantic oil drill on at full blast, the team slaughters the mermaid creatures. That is, until something gigantic, mean and fast begins speeding towards them. Snyder and Murphy end on that note, leaving us to ponder exactly what happens next. How will the team fill six more issues?
Part of the story has to return to the future. The Wake has shown glimpses of a young woman and her pet dolphin moving through a devastated future world, as well as bizarre happenings at the very dawn of man. How do all these events coalesce? Is there a connection between young doctor Archer in the present and the warrior woman of the future? This seems to be more the crux of The Wake than the main thread of attacking mermaid creatures. The curve ball of issue #4’s confrontation sets up massive interest in how the story will pan out.
Sean Murphy continues to impress with his art. Pencils can be good, great or astounding, but rarely are they interesting in how the see the world. Bill Sienkiewicz, Jack Kirby, Walt Simonson – these are just a few artists whose actual style of penciling separated them from whatever other artists were doing, no matter how brilliant. Murphy has that same talent. His work is surreal, detail-oriented to the point of almost overkill. The movement of what he does is wrapped within his line work, which comes together almost like fine stitching. There’s also a basement level brutality to Murphy’s work. The combination of fine art talent and brutality is what gives his work such a unique perspective.
The Wake continues to make the deepest parts of the ocean even scarier.
(4 Story, 4.5 Art)
