“Manifest Destiny” is a great name for a comic and now we have this gem, published by Image Comics, in connection with Skybound, which you can visit here. This is created and written by Chris Dingess. He admits to a passion for the weird so he’s just the right guy to mashup the Lewis and Clark expedition with a healthy dose of horror.
What Manifest Destiny does right is to just let it roll. Our first scenes with Lewis and Clark leave us wondering about these guys. Captain Clark has no problem shooting a heron out of the sky just to get a better look. He seems to have even less of a problem torturing a petty thief. The thief, Jensen, is part of the crew but because he’s just one of the convicts promised his freedom, and not an enlisted man, he gets very low priority, like no priority. Jensen doesn’t look or act like anything worthy of respect but he’s not to be dismissed, as we later learn.
The art by Matthew Roberts has a nice blend of the cartoony and realistic and allows the reader to get lost in the story. Overall, this is a strong first issue that leaves you wanting more. What’s also important to know is that, based on the notes at the end of this comic, this is a genuine team effort full of real enthusiasm. Of course, that alone, isn’t going to necessarily sell books but that kind of excitement is coming across on these pages. With an interesting set of characters and an intriguing plot involving monsters that is hinted at, we can let Lewis and Clark lead the way and see what develops.
“Manifest Destiny #1” arrives November 13, 2013. Visit our friends at Image Comics here.
