Undertow #1 Review

Steve Orlando is *ahem* diving into the world of Atlantis with his new series, Undertow. Issue #1 introduces us to a world where mankind has yet to evolve, and Atlantis rules the world. However, not all that glitters is gold in Atlantis, as we focus on a group of “terrorists” who want to be free from the fascism engrained in Atlantean culture. This sets us up for a wild, nuanced, and action-filled ride that is exquisite to behold.

The stars of this story are Redum Anshargal, a weathered freedom fighter, and Ukinnu Alal, a young upstart who is ready to fight for the cause. These characters are strong, and straightforward to read. You know where they are coming from and what is motivating their extreme actions. At the same time, there is still plenty of mystery about this world, and any number of revelations down the line can drastically alter our perspectives of these characters. Additionally, there are very clear parallels to the fascism in Atlantis and those of the real world, which provides us with some interesting commentary to explore. In life, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter, so you may not want to accept things at face value just yet.

Artyom Trakhanov’s artwork is strikingly stylized. His colors are incredibly rich and bold, providing contrasts of blue and green water with red, red blood. This whole thing is gorgeous, and the scripting and art work together seamlessly to give us a tour of Atlantean life, technology, and philosophy that you’ll be itching to see more of.

Mike Logsdon is a master of Kung Fu and reading comics. Find out which one of those things is actually true by following him on Twitter and IGN!

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