Review: Earthdivers #1

Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Artist: Davide Giangelice
Colorist: Joana LaFuente
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: IDW
Released: October 5, 2022
Received: NetGalley

Earthdivers #1 is the start of a brand new series by IDW. It’s written by Stephen Graham Jones – one of the best horror authors around. So you just know this series will hit you right in the feels and then some.

The series begins in the year 2112, with the world in ruins. As it turns out, the scientists may have been right when they warned us about those rising oceans. Whoops. One group of people may have a solution to everything gone wrong – they just have to go back in time and kill Christopher Columbus.

Writing

What would it be if you could go back in time to right one wrong? Would you erase a horrible person from the earth or find a different solution? Earthdivers #1 explores this core concept, with Stephen Graham Jones pointing fingers directly at the one and only Christopher Columbus as the root of many problems.

When you think about the butterfly effect, it’s easy to see how one change such as this would drastically change how our history books were written. Of course, anybody that’s spent anytime reading time travel fiction knows just how dangerous such a venture would be.

Much of the first issue is spent bouncing back and forth between two points in time. 2112 and 1492. It doesn’t take long for the story to get quite dark, but that was probably to be expected (think about that point in history – it won’t take long to get there).

Stephen Graham Jones did a brilliant job setting the scene in this issue, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Simultaneously, I’m dreading it. I’ve already become attached to the main group in this story, and I’m worried about how it will go from here…

Artwork

Wow. If I thought the writing of Earthdivers #1 was terrific, I was blown away by the artwork inside. Davide Giangelice (pencils), Joana LaFuente (colors), and Steve Wands (letters) are a dream team! Seriously, their work enhanced the impact of this story tenfold.

In particular, I enjoyed the character design in this issue. Each character had so much personality, even at a glance. Likewise, they did an excellent job of making it easy to tell each character apart, including the series’ future antagonist (presumably).

The colors complement these darker tones, and I look forward to seeing how they adapt and progress as time goes on. I will have to pick up the full volume of Earthdivers because I need more.

Conclusion

Earthdivers #1 is an intense start to the series. It grabs readers and refuses to let go, pulling us down the science fiction rabbit hole that is time travel. I know things will likely get worse before they get better, but I am here for it.

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