Comic Review: Low Road West #3 (BOOM! Studios)

For the low-down on Low Road West’s third issue from BOOM, here we go:

Okay, snap capsule: it’s today or the near future. American kids have been bussed west out of the danger zone in the center of the country, but are now stranded in the middle of nowhere, “out west”. Bus is broken, driver high tailed it out of there.

The nearest people are creeps, predators, and killers, and the pack of kids have separated, half of them lost by now.

Issue 3 takes us further into the craziness. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, illustrator Flaviano, and colorist Miquel Muerto ratchet up the tension in this one. It seems like there are aliens in the community, compelling one of the kids to come deeper, deeeeeper into unknown territory. Or is it in his head? Meanwhile, the ringleader of the vicious local gang is terrorizing the other kids.

And there are caves, did I mention that? Two points for the presence of CAVES, the essential ingredient in so many dramatic stories. Just go down in the ground to the caves! The LOW Low Cave.

Colouring is vivid throughout, with Muerto relying heavily on blue and red to accentuate the atmosphere. It’s contrasted in an interesting way by the multicolour psychedelic look of the alien land.

It’s a bit much to follow, actually. We seem to be following the kids on a strange and puzzling journey, further and further from the central story origin of “we are on our way somewhere by bus, and let’s stick together”. Instead, it is more like “let’s go down this rabbit hole in complete improv mode, and watch while readers try to keep up with us”.

BOOM Comics, Low Road West #3, $3.99 for 24 pages of content. Assume Teen