"Surface Tension" #1 - Review As We Await TV News

Recently we announced that Titan Comics and Jay Gunn's Surface Tension has been optioned for TV. Surface Tension is described as a mix of Hayao Miyasaki's work and The Walking Dead. The basic premise is that "months ago, 99% of humanity walked into the sea and dissolved. When two people are washed up on the beach of the tiny island of Breith - their biology completely rewritten - the survivors of Breith are thrown into chaos. Are they our last hope - or our executioners?" I can already imagine it becoming a TV series based on that alone. Nevertheless, let me tell you a bit about Surface Tension #1, which was originally published in May 2015.

(General, Mild Spoilers May Follow!)

First, that cover is sure to catch some comic book fans right away. I was already questioning what exactly happened to those people and why they were following the lady in the red dress. Perhaps more importantly, who is that lady in the red dress? One thing that stands out to me is how the illustrations are so vastly different from what one might expect from the premise of the series. It's brightly illustrated, the characters are modern and cool, and they live in a seemingly picturesque town by the beach. Perhaps that is what will make it stand out and make it more eerie as we see whatever is to come across the beautiful landscapes.

The story starts with Chapter One, Ghosts. We're immediately introduced to the different life forms that will be in the story meeting the two people who washed up on the beach, one of our protagonists, Shauna and some strange creatures by the beach. (Warning: About those washed up people-there is some nudity. Titan Comics rates it as 12+.) As Shauna is dealing with the people and creatures, we find ourselves at a funeral. We get a glimpse at more of the townsfolk and at another division of people in this new world. Their masks and 'strange' ways set them apart from the others and calls to mind the Guilty Remnant in Leftovers. So the town division continues.

After we leave the funeral we follow Cassel who is in some form of power as he meets others at the Breith Community Center. It's hard not to think of Big Jim Rennie from Under The Dome as Cassel unabashedly shuts down the idea of trying to venture off to the mainland. He wants what's best for the town, but what's to be seen is how far he will go to get it. Cassel introduces us to Mary who explains who the lady in the red dress was, or now is, since she has returned. Although they recognize the townsfolk and have some memories, the returned people have no idea where they were or what happened to them. What could go wrong on this idyllic, beautiful landscape with blooming flowers, butterflies and seagulls? Perhaps that's a trick question and what's wrong has already happened. As Megumi explains to Mary the coral's desire is to fix everything because the Earth is sick. It's done it here, too. Now we just have to wait to see what's next.

You can read more about the TV news and see preview images from the series HERE. Find more info about the series HERE.