One of my favorite comics since it first hit the scene, I’ve been eagerly awaiting Manifest Destiny‘s return and now it has arrived with the third arc. So let’s find out: is it good?
Manifest Destiny #13 (Image Comics)
After a brief flashback opening with apparently a different group of explorers, we catch up with the Lewis & Clark expedition to see where they currently are. Since the events of the last arc, not much has really happened and the characters have been just going on with the trip without incident. Sure, someone got wasted completely and Sacajawea seems to be showing more signs of pregnancy, but nothing of note. Well… that is until the team spots a familiar object out in the distance…
Like with issue #7, this is a good way to start off a new storyline. It catches us up with a lot of the characters to see where they are now and how they are doing, sets a few new subplots into motion, follows up on a few moments from previous issues (like with Sergeant Pryor being a big evangelical who preaches a lot), and introduces us to another new creature. The issue isn’t all that exciting or energetic, since most of this is just setup. However, all of these new elements and follow ups were very nice and gets you interested in how they’ll be continuing on from here. Heck, it was especially nice to start revealing something rather intriguing about the arches that have been popping up in the series.
Chris Dingess continues to impress with his writing on this series. The pacing was good, along with the story structure and flow. Every page felt important for one reason or another (developing a story, subplot, or even adding some character development), with possibly the exception of the opening. I’m not sure why we saw a completely different expedition team or what purpose it has, but maybe it’ll be going somewhere next time. The characterization was good and I’m really liking the slow development with every member of the crew, since most of them really haven’t gotten to do much. You recognize certain members in the background easily, but they never really showed much personality until now. Overall, it’s a good return for the book and I look forward to seeing things pick up in the next issue.
The artwork on the book looks incredible as always. The characters are drawn wonderfully and are really easy to tell apart at points (like I said earlier, you can easily tell which member of the crew is which from just seeing them in the background after a while). The layouts are well put together—the level of detail put into scenery, characters, and creatures is still incredible, and the imagery seen in this series is still eye catching. While it feels like I’m always saying the same thing about this series, it’s the truth. Every issue is a treat to look at and I have yet to see one bad issue from the comic.
Is It Good?
Manifest Destiny #13 is an enjoyable return for the series after being away for a month. It continues the plot along well, building up some new plot points and continuing on with developing the characters. It wasn’t the most eventful issue we’ve seen from the series nor was it the most exciting, but it did provide a good experience from beginning to end.
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