Descender #32 Review

Writer: Jeff Lemire / Artist: Dustin Nguyen / Image Comics Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to review the final issue of Descender. On July 25th, 2018, the series ascended into a future where machines are no more, and magic rules the galaxy… …but what really happened? Once and for all, humankind proved that they were incapable of growth. The machines reacted with a divine intervention, resulting in a near-extinction level event across the galaxy. What I enjoyed about this issue is that it constantly kept you on your toes. The pacing is rapid as hell. You never get a chance to sit with or process what’s going on until there are no more pages left to turn. There’s not much time to reflect when it’s the end of the universe as we know it. That’s what makes the character moments so strong. You’re in this scene with them, but it’s fleeting — both you and the people on the page know there isn’t a thing anyone can do about it. Something really refreshing was how the events of this issue were all told in the past tense, as if they happened years ago. The narration felt like a tale that was passed down through oral tradition. It really framed the story in a new and interesting light. Framing the narration like this made these characters feel larger than life. We’ve seen everything happen in real time, but to read it from a perspective that was seemingly inspired by these characters added another layer to the story.

As Descender ties up loose ends and answers all the q…