Re-reading .... Black Science: Vol. 5 - True Atonement

As we make a start into the middle volume of the Black Science series as a whole, if you found yourself intrigued by what I'm selling here and wanted to catch up, you can find the prior instalments here:

Volume 1 - How to Fall Forever
Volume 2 - Welcome, Nowhere
Volume 3 - Vanishing Point
Volume 4 - Godworld

So, anyway....

Black Science: Volume 5 -
True Atonement

This post almost didn't happen this week as real life found itself getting in my way, taking from me every opportunity to read the issues which I would need in order to write something. That all changed, however, when the night before I wrote this I came off my bike on the way home from work, split my knee open and finding myself at the hospital waiting to get stitches. Fortunately, this gave me ample time (and, I do mean 'Ample') to read all four issues and so, be ready to put pen to paper over my thoughts.

Much like the characters in the series, I seem to have found success from the jaws of disaster (or is it the other way around?)

(This is the part where spoilers may occur. Be warned!!)

The cover for Black Science #22

Black Science: Volume 5 is entitled 'True Atonement' and, after the events of the prior volume, this is about as fitting a title as I think can be used. Here we see the ever (new) heroic Grant McKay, fresh from finding himself on Godworld (as well as a couple of detours) crashing his new Pillar Ship on yet another strange world in an effort to find his team and children. However, his crash comes at the wrong moment as he destroys the Omninid, a powerful device formed from three items each held by warring races vying to make peace, a peace that his daughter Pia help form.

Now, with the ol' McKay luck of causing disaster wherever he goes still going strong, Grant sets about undoing the damage he's wrought in order to set things right and return his daughter home. However, nothing amongst these new missions of his are what they seem as McKay finds himself forced to trade his most prized possession to undo his mistakes before re-encountering old enemies who hold hostage everything he holds dear in order for a perverse utilisation of his dream.

Just one of a myriad of problems Grant
McKay is causing on this new world.

I've probably gone a bit vague and confusing toward the end there as I recap what exactly happened, however it was all in an attempt to avoid intentional spoilers (though I suspect I'll undo that shortly). That said, as I came to the end of reading this, one certainty brushed across my mind: while Godworld was my most favourite arc of the series, True Atonement had to be my least favourite.

Now, that's not to say that it wasn't good, or even a departure from what I feel has made the series great thus far. Unfortunately, something about it (and I don't know what) didn't really grab me in the same way as all the arcs before and I found myself wondering if the darker and more sombre (for want of a better word) cliffhanger ending had an impact on those feelings. Almost as if this depressing end affected the rest of the book. In fact, as I think back I wonder if my knowing what was going to happen also had a greater influence on my viewpoint.

Not quite happy families
between Grant and Pia.

Like I said though, this doesn't mean that the series has taken a dramatic turn from what it was prior. In fact, this arc feels like a natural successor to the Godworld story as we see Grant making good on what he learned and put it into practice. I really enjoyed watching the Elder McKay fumble and struggle and be nervous (although I am concerned about that latter note) as he attempted to be a better dad to his daughter who long since learned to get on without him. For me, this was a switch of role empathy as I found myself more connecting with Pia's point of view despite my affection for what Grant tried to do constantly throughout this story.

It's also here that I felt that there was some sort of change in the hierarchy of characters, with Pia being placed more front and centre. Now, given what is destined to happen, it makes sense for this change to happen but re-reading it now and I love where Pia has found herself while also becoming more like her dad than even she realises. In the end, it was their relationship and how neither seemed willing to give up on it that I loved most about this arc, culminating midway through the third issue with an adorable resolution, which confirmed to me that this is where the story of true heroes begins.

The McKays once again
showing the best way to
make enemies.

Of course, you should never expect anything that simple from Rick Remender and here is no exception as I realised this time around how he'd fitted 'the old switcheroo' in this arc, totally turning everything I'd seen until now on it's head.

While it all starts pretty optimistically enough with the reveal (finally!!!) of the Prime Sara, it's immediately undone when we find the still alive Kadir has now married her and, meanwhile, the enigmatic Mr Block, who only through his doppelgangers have we gotten to know finally makes his long awaited appearance, capturing Grant and the Pillar Ship and threatening the rest of the family into silence so he may reap the rewards of the Eververse.

And it is with this new status quo I wonder is the reason for my dislike as everything now seems so hopeless as the now stunted Grant McKay is locked up, Pia and Sara are under the boot of Block and not even the return (or rather introduction) of Brian can do enough to raise some hope for a change in fortune.

Well, look who's gotten his
feet under the table!!

And THIS is essentially what the story is about; the True Atonement of Grant McKay because, when all is said and done, everything he did in the lead up to this point has been his fault. Now, the villains; Doxta, Block, Chandra and the Millipedes all have access to a terrible power while he is alone and powerless to stop them. As he muses to himself upon a 'visit' from Kadir; ' It's what he deserves' and how he 'owes the whole world an apology, for being so f$%*&£ stupid' (Yeah, I'm not going to swear, but you get the idea).

Speaking of the Villains, I did feel this arc's secondary objective was to introduce and reinforce the series' major villains as we are introduced to new big bads in Doxta and Block, as well as a brief intro to bizarre new monster, Har'Logh the Defiler. It's occurred to me that these characters, as well as Chandra and the Millipedes are, in a sense created by McKay attempts to be heroic. The logic behind this train of thought is that none of them would be where they are without Grant McKay's attempts to save someone/something, which is hammered home in this arc as he tries to save both Pia and, in a more emotional sense, Sara but ends up losing everything. Maybe it's more of a selfish heroism that is the cause, as McKay's need to save his children has now placed Pillar knowledge with four very deadly, and very different enemies.

The (eventual) reveal of Mr
Block, and he's not one to
be messed with.

In terms of these baddies, Doxta is thus far the one which doesn't connect with me compared to all the others. I wonder if it's the lack of focus on her, as she appears as very much a mystery (although a deadly mystery I will admit) whom all we know has been slighted and gets what she wants to forcing a trade. However, compared to the others we've encountered, she'd rather lacking in something, especially when compared to Block. Now, despite the real him on now revealing himself, his having such a multiversally similar personality across all worlds makes him much more connectable. Meanwhile, the way he seems to walk in a almost get everything he wants, says to me that he's almost being groomed as the big bad of the entire series (and that's even after he brings in a giant, deadly, fur monster).

Scalera and Dinisio continue
to go all out with their
imaginations.

Speaking of which, I've got to give my standard praise about how great the art is here. Even in an arc which feels like it should look rather dour and, for the most part, normal, Matteo Scalera and Moreno Dinisio make it all look bright and loud and immensely maddening. I seriously am running out of the words to describe how much I love their work five posts in, but, gosh darn it, I'm going to keep trying.

In the end though, even after spill all that's in my head about this story arc, I'm in two minds as to my final feelings on it. I do recall that, as I originally read it, Black Science continued to be the best title I was reading at the time as it stayed leaps and bounds ahead of anything else. However, as I reflected on it here, I found that the volume just didn't stand up to what had come before it, making it feel like something akin to a holding pattern in my eyes.

Kadir v Mckay, but a majot change in
fortunes from last time.

Of course, I would guess that 'holding pattern' is a poor choice of words and, knowing what is to come. I now think that volume 5 is clearly the end of the second act of the overall story, as the entire tale transitions towards the endgame and our heroes find themselves in dire straits (which is certainly how I understand second acts to look like). This could also explain my reticence towards the arc, as second acts of the story tend to need both beginnings and ends to be good (in my opinion).

So, with the halfway point well and truly past and (if my assumptions are corrected) the second act done. I would guess that it is all downhill from here as we speed straight for the end game.

And it all begins with Volume 6 - Forbidden Realms and Hidden Truths.

Or, with that title, maybe not?