*Warning: Review May Contain Spoilers!
Ten years from now the world will be ravaged by a solar flare, known only as the Z4. This cataclysmic event scorched the earth, leaving billions dead in their wake. Humans have adapted as they live underground during the day and come out at night. This is the new world of Eclipse a soon to be released series by Image Comics.
The first issue features the main character known as David Baxter (or Bax to his friends). He is one of the Icemen as he is tasked going above ground during the day. The only thing saving him from being fried is an advanced suit cooled with nitrous oxide so he can make repairs. During a routine repair he is redirected to Times Square as there has been an incident. Someone was murdered as a passage from the Bible was scrawled in blood “And they were scorched because they had no root”.
Later on after his shift is over he is paid a visit from a security force as Brandt wants to see him. He goes to the offices of Solarity, Inc. who have built all of this in order to preserve human life. David is tasked with watching over her daughter named Rose as she had gotten a note in the mail similar to what was scrawled on the wall by the victim. His team agrees and goes to a party above ground in an abandoned building, protecting her and surveying the outside. It turns out the team is worried about the structural integrity of the building and decide to pull everyone out. As they do so a truck pulls out and with mirrors to redirect the sunlight everyone is slaughtered except for David. David pulls out with Rose in tow as they escape to the underground, but as they disappear, they see the man come out of the truck.
He is only dressed in rags and he is not burning. Why?
This is a perfect setup for the beginning of this series as it gives you great characters and a unique storyline. If you are a fan of post-apocalyptic tales you will be drawn in by Eclipse. This book is penned by Zack Kaplan, who has taught at the International Academy of Film and TV in the Philippines. He has written for film and television in the past, but this is his first comic book project. The comic is being drawn by Giovanni Timpano who is no stranger to comics as he is working on more than a few projects. Some of the companies he has worked for have been Dynamite, IDW, Boom and Zenescope. The art in this book is exceptional as it not only captures the ruined Manhattan landscape but the gritty underworld where the humans must inhabit to survive.
