Wasteland #41 (Oni)

writer: Antony Johnston
artist: Russel Roehling

(via onipress.com)

The continuing saga of the world after the Big Wet continues.  As with recent issues, Wasteland #41 sees Michael and Abi continue their search for A-Ree-Yass-I.

Now, let me explain why any of that is interesting.  The Big Wet is a vaguely-defined apocalyptic event, which means that by definition Wasteland is a post-apocalyptic tale.  Humanity has regressed to a more primitive mode of existence.  There are still remnants of what once was, and in fact the series is set in America (I'm just now realizing that as far as speculations go, A-Ree-Yass-I could very well be Arizona; I'd never really thought about that before).

Most of the series to this point centered on the political turmoil of Newbegin, where Michael ended up traveling along with a caravan that included Abi.  There we met Marcus, the self-styled ruler of the city, and eventually Mary.  Michael, Abi, Marcus and Mary are unique among the people living in this world.  For one, they're far older, though they age slowly.  For another, they each possess special abilities.  A recent issue (#39) was a flashback to some of their earliest days, before their failing memories caused them to forget each other.  What's all the more intriguing about them is that they come from a time before the Big Wet, about a hundred years in the past.

Michael may have the clearest memory of the four we've followed to this point, yet he tends to play things pretty close to the vest.  I've repeatedly compared him to Wolverine, not just because he's a bad-ass loner, but because of this secret history that's still unfolding.  Though he tends to share the ensemble nature of the series, Michael is a regular standout.

Michael and Abi left (or rather, escaped from) Newbegin a while ago, and some of what recent issues have done is simply to make the series easier for new readers to follow.  They've been searching for A-Ree-Yass-I, which is fabled to hold the key to explaining the past and perhaps making the present better.  They've recently come across another small community, and a man named Joseph is its most notable resident, mainly because he's like our four extraordinary characters.  This whole issue, in fact, is a little like exploring that aspect of the series with lesser consequence, so that you can catch up on what being Michael and Abi means without worrying too much about where Joseph specifically is going.  Marcus was such a huge hassle for them in Newbegin, it's nice to see one of them in more flattering light, like Abi to a lesser extent.  What sets Abi apart is her keen interest in A-Ree-Yass-I.

By the end of the issue, Michael and Abi have moved on again but come to an argument as to how to proceed, which direction to go.  And so they finally part company.  This will have the advantage of further narrowing the perspective between issues, something that came up in the Newbegin era after their departure.

The original artist for Wasteland, Christopher Mitten, provides the cover, but interiors belong to Russel Roehling.  Roehling has a completely different style from Mitten, more cartoonish, and it can be a little distracting, something I had to get a grip on when I first saw his work in the series.  Yet the excellent writing of Antony Johnston remains.  Johnston has been getting increased attention from the comic book world, but unfortunately that hasn't translated to greater exposure for Wasteland, which has been a favorite of mine since the start of the series.  I still cannot possibly recommend it enough.