Review: Dark Ark #15

Gwen Dylan Stacy

6 years ago

Cullen Bunn has a lot of really great content that he’s pushing out this year. I’m sure you’re all aware of that, of course but I feel like it needs to be reiterated, just in case. Between this title and Blossoms 666 alone, he’s doing some stellar work. Dark Ark, from Aftershock Comics, is something entirely different. If I needed to find a way to appropriately aliken it to anything, I’d say it has a very Supernatural sort of vibe to it in and of itself.

A lot of this title centers around what happens after The Flood, during which God tried to end the wickedness of man. This inadvertently managed to set in motion a bunch of different occurrences, such as Satan trying to build an arkÂ to harbor all of the dark creatures in the world and save them. In the meantime, it seems that God has also opened the gates of Heaven and cast out angels. In the center of all this is a family headed by Shrae, who is tasked with building the ark, and his family.

This wonderfully odd little read is illustrated by Juan Doe with letters by Dave Sharpe and logo by John J. Hill. Something about the art and the color palette reminds me of biblical things. I think that might be due to how Khalee and her family are dressed. Something about it screams Easter Sunday Moses to me. Couple that with the mostly warm sometimes cool for effect color temperature that is reminiscent of faded out, vintage photographs.

The entire issue is mostly centered around Khalee; who and what she is and might have become after a strange interaction and ritual that occurred in her father’s room that we see mostly via flashbacks. After confronting the fallen from Heaven, she moves herself and her family to their little makeshift encampment. Of course, this doesn’t end well for most of the creatures involved, especially after we learn what exactly might have transpired behind the door of her father’s room.

Speaking of which, we do see Shrae in this issue. I won’t spoil what happens but eventually everything seems to move toward at least some sort of conclusion. I’m not sure how what has occurred will change the course of everything going on and her family. Especially considering we’re not sure who or what Khalee might be harboring inside her and what its intentions are.

Dark Ark is a strangely satisfying read that will feed anyone’s need to delve into the supernatural that’s tinged with religious lure. I highly suggest this 3.5 out of 5 star read to those like myself who is intrigued by the prospects of both.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Cullen Bunn (A/CA) Juan Doe