Trouble is on the move.
The issue kicks off with a flash back to a few days after “The Big PM” where darkness has encompassed the world for days, and anyone caught in its shade changes into something monstrous.
Val and Em have their parents trapped in a basement, knowing release means their death. These series of pages leads us to the present where Em is handcuffed in the back of the rig, his transformation is imminent. Val and her companion continue to travel, finding this one place where sunshine may yet still live.
It’s an intriguing dialogue. It dives deep into losing hope in a world where hope no longer exists. Only survival.
The first few issues saw how this journey comes together, but now we see where there may be an opportunity to save what is left of humanity, there are those out there with their own nefarious reasons for keeping the world as-is, for their own personal gain. Related, there are two reveals which were hinted at in prior issues. One, this “Blacktop Bill” is a hired gun who carries out ruthless assassinations. Two, those humans infected by this dark shade seem to communicate with something, perhaps a hive mind.
The conclusion sees Val meeting a relative of the scientist who sacrificed himself so his granddaughter would survive. The very last panel shows a single flower.
Perhaps, hope may still be a concept.
