Descender #30 Review

Writer: Jeff Lemire / Artist / Dustin Nguyen / Image Just as the Hardwire started droppin’ hella bodies in the UGC, the hoomans revealed that they had developed their own Harvester. And TIM-21 is the key to getting it working. Or as the homie Dr. Strange would say, “We’ve entered the Endgame.” With the UGC evening the playing field, it creates a dilemma for Tesla and the rest of the group. From the jump, she’s been a soldier first, friend second; and whether she admits it or not her motivation has always been linked to proving to her father that she’s capable. At this moment, she sees an opportunity to finally prove that without question. The only problem is that puts a wedge between her and the rest of the group, because doing so would jeopardize lives. Not much happened in this issue that progressed the story, but just like everything else with this series; a character-driven issue is still top notch. It felt like the calm before the storm, like the moment in Return of The Jedi when Luke willingly travels alone to meet with the Emperor and Vader. You know it’s about to go down, but in those moments leading up, the tension is building steadily. I also felt like a lot was paid off in this issue. A lot of reunions are made and characters’ roles are set into place, which gives the next two issues a lot of room to be as cosmically crazy as they want to be. As you may know, Descender is coming to an end after issue #32. If you didn’t know, take your anger out on your Roomba. (Well, maybe don’t. Be nice to your electronics. They’re people, too). That end doesn’t seem definitive. It’s being treated more like a shift in the story, rather than an ending. If it is all over in a few issues, something I’ll surely miss about this series is the art. Dustin Nguyen’s style is something that I’ve never seen before in this medium, at least not at this capacity. I can speak forever on the consistency that’s displayed issue after issue, but I’ve done that already. I’d just like to convey that I think the art on this series is so particular, so important, the story really wouldn’t be the same without it. You can’t say that about every comic. In the age of comic book adaptations, Descender might be high on your list of movies you’d like to see on the big or small screen. I think it would be hard to adapt not because the story is too complex, but because the art is so important to how you take in this story that it would be missing something if that didn’t come along with it. That’s how you know you’ve got something special on your hands. As the series enters its possible twilight, Descender #30 provides emotional context over story progression. These puffy eyes wouldn’t have it any other way.

8 Robot Puppy Dog Eyes out of 10

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