Review: Lost City Explorers #3

Mythologies of lost, technologically advanced cities are sprinkled throughout global literary history ”“ dating back to ancient times. According to these myths super-humans thrive in civilizations with advanced tech until they collapse on themselves due to greed and warfare. The Lost City Explorers (Aftershock), created and written by Zack Kaplan with topnotch artistry from Alvaro Sarraseca and Dee Cunniffe, taps into this deep well of mythological narratives in this new ongoing series.

The Lost City Explorers #3 finds the series“ protagonists, Hel, Edwin, Homer, June, and Maddi tunneling beneath the surface of New York City. Hel is hell bent on finding her father and discovering the remains of whatever Lost City lurks beneath the subway system of NYC. Unfortunately, these young protagonists aren“t simply adventuring through the bowels of New York. They are also being pursued by armed agents of Sagan Laboratories, led by Kaye. The mysteries behind their Dad“s disappearance, the lost city, and the monster they have on video, might all be connected to a Sagan research site.

Much of Lost City Explorers #3 follows Hel and crew as they maneuver the subway tunnels and stay just ahead of their Sagan pursuers. Sarraseca“s art and Dee Cunniffe“s colors provide the appropriately dark visuals for this underground chapter of the series. Somehow the dark tones of artwork do not overshadow the lighter banter of the teen adventurers. It is an important aesthetic contrast for the book and the light/dark visual contrast also helps to give Lost City Explorers a unique look and a distinct visual identity.

This issue shines even more when Kaplan and company abandon dialogue altogether and allow Sarraseca“s visual tell the story without any text. These panels/pages help the reader to make connections to the narrative feel of the book in a more direct and rewarding way. One effect of this kind of storytelling is that readers will interact more directly with the underground environment within which this issue takes place. We want to know discover more of it just as the protagonists do.

The mythology of underground, lost societies are ubiquitous across time, region and cultures for many reasons. Maybe the most significant reason for these myths is that lost cities are often a reflection of our own histories and realities. They relate stories of unchecked technological advancements, utopias gone wrong, and how greed undermines the true potential of human advancement. The Lost City is often a signifier for our own social failures in reality. And, true to form, there are some hints of that kind of reality mirror for Hel and crew in The Lost City Explorers. 4/5!

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Zack Kaplan (A) Alvaro Sarreseca (CA) Rafael La Torre