Re-reading .... Black Science: Vol. 3 - Vanishing Point

Reading this third volume of Black Science turned out to be quite a chore compared to the previous two. Not because it was an awful read (we'll get to the full nitty gritty in a moment), but because real life tends to not allow me to read through anything at the moment.



The Cover of Black
Science #12

In fact, this entire volumes worth of entries were only read over the day and morning before I actually started writing this.

(Hopefully, with it's contents fresh in my mind, what I write here will be a little less ramble-like.)

Coming on the heels of both Volume 1 and Volume 2, this third arc of Black Science, entitled Vanishing point, not only brings to an end the first major storyline within the Black Science universe(s) (as writer Rick Remender points out in the letter page) but also completes the series' first compendium's contents as we reach the third-way point.

(From this point on, there will, undoubtedly, be spoilers!!)



Black Science Vol 3. #12 - 16

Black Science's third volume sees our not so merry band of reunited Dimensionauts just about escaping from the Telepathic Millipede Death Cult to find themselves in a world with far deadlier prospects. This world, which looks like an advanced take on the Roman Empire, is dying from a deadly plague brought in by that reality's version of the Pillar and now the Anarchist League of Scientists must work quickly to repair their increasingly unstable travelling device while avoiding this world's centurions as the attempt to destroy all who have contact with the contagion they face, as well as those who look like those who brought it to their door. However, not all are willing to leave and/or go home as the league face dissension in the ranks.

While my description of this arc sounds more like a synopsis which I ripped from previews catalogue, I found this to be the story I was best able to remember and that is not a indictment on the past two arc, but simply that issues 12 to 16 felt like a real change of pace. What has come before seems to be shaken off here, as the Sliders-esque world an arc vibe gives way to something a lot more epic. I honestly think that it is here where Black Science not only hits its stride, but also where it reaches the grand heights of it's terrific quality.



Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

Starting with a recap of how Grant McKay (confirmed to be OUR Grant McKay) was managed to return to the fold as it's cold open, we begin a storyline whereby Alt-Sara runs off, Pia follows and Grant and Shawn follow her, leading to a culmination whereby many of the characters appear to pick their side as either hero or villain.

Of course, nothing in life is quite that simple (everyone is the hero of their own story), but I really enjoyed this as practically every main character took a stand in some form or another, be it Shawn demand that they save the world, Rebecca own, more selfish plans or the Shaman's defiance; seemingly pushing their own respective journeys to either side of the line.

As with the past arcs, characters beyond McKay and Kadir get some focus, allowing us to understand them better and this time it is Pia and Shawn. Now, I really enjoyed getting some better clarity on both of these because, with Shawn, it gave me a feeling of inspiration that while most all other characters seem to 'corrupt' (for want of a better word) in some way, Shawn's ideology doesn't seem to have changed from the moment he signed on to the Pillar project and a better understanding as to why he's the Watson to McKay's Holmes. He serves as McKay's conscience (maybe even more than his actual conscience).

Meanwhile, the focus on Pia's history was incredibly poignant as we saw her effectively at her lowest, while helping to show us some of the rationale behind her more cynical, stereotypically teenage demeanour. However, this arc not only delved into her past but also gave a hint of her growth as she effectively forgive both her father and her mother (or the Alt-Sara surrogate), seemingly starting her own journey to the light side.

Now, before I continue, I'm going to give my mandatory praise of Matteo Scalara, whose work once again looks fantastic here. The night before I wrote this I saw a tweet by Rick Remender praising his partner in creative crime and, to be honest, it is more than deserved. Just watching Pia's descent or even another memory sequence whereby Grant thinks of his family is just beautiful with it's dreamlike hue and really got to me quite a bit.

The tone of this panel is
Incredible!!!

I just want to point out (because I don't remember when) that at some point in the series Matteo Scalara was reported to have broken his hand. Well, I didn't notice which means even with a broken hand he still gave us amazing work. Let that sink in for a moment.

Of course, his isn't the only praise here as there is a new Colourist in Moreno Dinisio and his work just enhances Scalara's pencils terrifically. While I have enjoyed the art and colours up until this point, Dinisio's colours just look richer and really give the look of Black Science such a greater, bolder, moodier look, which is no better seen than in the darker locations or even with the appearance of the fire.

As I continued my way through this series, something I realised was how, as it progressed, Black Science has become a story focused less on the sci-fi, the wacky worlds and the bizarre creatures (although all are still prominent) and instead feels like a major character study in the effects of how people deal with the cards handed to them in life.



This panel is just one example of
how much bolder the colour art
is this time round.

This train of thought came to my mind as I read Rebecca in these five issues. Now, in my opinion, Rebecca is less an unwitting accomplice to McKay's ego and is more of a femme fatale as many of her prior scenes take a new meaning as her own plans become revealed. For this reason, I actually found her to be fantastically written as looking back, every action she takes I realised is for her own benefit, including her relationship with McKay, which as I read the flashback of the start I came to wonder was it all to keep him working.

Of course, Rebecca is not the only villain whose focus continues to intrigue me as original bad guy Kadir faces a (literal) ghost from his past as he reverts to his more antagonistic type. It's at this point I'm going to mention how I love some of the things Remender has done in this series when it comes to his depiction of adages (I believe this is the word). Kadir's face off with an Alternate Ward haunting him for his earlier inaction while McKay's face off with himself prior both feel so literal to the ideas of 'facing one's past' and 'your own worst enemy' and I love it.

Beyond this fight however, Kadir is once again relegated to the Dr Smith-esque bad guy of the team and it's a notion that I do find interesting. It's almost like a Reed Richards/Dr Doom dynamic whereby Doom can actually be quite heroic without Reed's presence to make him seem like less of a good guy. Instead, here Kadir's more heroic nature only takes route when McKay's more rebellious, possibly do right, personality isn't in the way to eclipse him. Now with his return, Kadir reverts more to type than before, which I think may set him up as the biggest bad by the end.


Enter Grant McKay: the Hero!?

Of course, speaking of Grant McKay the hero, this arc is most definitely the one which rebuild's him into a more traditional pulp/action hero. What I enjoy about this is how McKay almost bit by bit shakes off many aspects of his former self as he pushes to be more pro-active, although it's usually due to some ulterior motive, such as his children's safety, until Shawn's 11th hour pep talk. It's at this point that I notice an almost dichotomy or contrast of two stories being told across the arc. This is because, as Past Grant's life seems to crumble from him being his principled self when meeting Shawn to a regular joe he despises and then his workplace affair, present Grant feels rebuilt to a form of the man he was at the beginning; a loving father, a hero to his kids and someone who simply wanted to make the world a better place.
I'm kind of at the end, with little left to mention. However, I had two questions as I read through these issues which bug me a little, even if they don't change my enjoyment. The first thing is Grant McKay's trip from his last appearance to now seemingly taking weeks. Now this I found weird as I had assumed that the rest of the dimensionauts trip since then had only been a few days, although it did make me wonder if travelling between layers of the onion causes some kind of time dilation thing? Also, Nate's diabetes made a brief return here and, if indeed it's been weeks since their adventure began, surely Nate would be suffering severe insulin withdrawal by now?

Of course, I know nothing about either diabetes or Temporal theory so maybe I'm overthinking it.



Oh, look who's back!

As we reach the final pages we bare witness to many (presumed) deaths and the return of an old frenemy (which I initially thought was very coincidental but now, given the notion of tears by many pillars and 'path of least resistance', makes more sense), I realise that (while I now already know) this feels, much like it did on the first read, like everything is about to change in a major way, much like every character we've met so far.



I had nothing to say about
this beyond I really love
this panel!!!

For me, this arc of issues still feels like it is the strongest of the Black Science series throughout as it's renewed sense of heroism and more black and white leanings by the characters.

Also, given what I appear to have gleaned about some of the characters in this volume (assuming I'm right), I'm looking forward to Volume 4 - Godworld, despite it being the most difficult read first time round.

However, regardless of whether it reads better or reads the same, I can't wait to see stuff I missed originally.

I'm really enjoying doing this now!!