Review - Enenra #1 (@Aaron_Wrob)

"So much has happened since the outbreak..."

There's certainly no dearth of apocalypse tales and Enenra #1 from Markosia Comics is very much cut from the same cloth as many of the other takes on the doomsday scenario. The issue is written by Aaron Wroblewski and illustrated by Ezequiel Rubio.

Flight BA432 arrives into Heathrow airspace. Despite all attempts at communication failing, the airliner is allowed to land, much to the horror of everyone involved. As liaison officer between the British government and the ECDC, Doctor Richard Marron is contacted. His team, together with Jessica Holmes from the Epidemic Intelligence and Response, cautiously gain entry to the aircraft. What they find is horrifying. Just what happened on-board Flight BA432?

Wroblewski seems to acknowledge from the outset that Enenra #1 is derivative in some ways as yet another entrant in the outbreak survival apocalypse genre. The set-up is pretty classic in that regard, right down to a wandering character with a dog struggling to survive against both internal and external factors. Where Wroblewski allows the book to feel slightly different is in the extremely tense pacing throughout the issue as the landing of a passenger airplane is detailed. Wroblewski understands that there's a growing tension in the minutia of an act seemingly so boring as landing a plane and by providing a readers a seat in the control tower that tension can be dramatized exponentially. The dialogue feels very believable yet capable of effectively conveying to the reader a timeline of the events as they unfold.

Providing the visuals for the book are Rubio's scratchy illustrations, replete with heavy cross-hatching and shadows. Rubio's style affords the book a visual density to it that pairs nicely with the overarching taut atmosphere throughout the issue. Still, there are some points where the approach adversely affects the book, in that there are some panels that are different to discern exactly what's going on or who's involved in that particular panel. It's not a knock on Rubio's style as it's still rendered well--it's just that some scenes feel a little too dark. Stil, the monochromatic approach does wonders for engendering a burgeoning sense of horror as Rubio visually explores the state of the plane both before and after it lands.

Enenra #1 is a well-paced and (purposefully) terse first issue in terms of plot. Dr. Marron and company are faced with something they've never encountered before and will likely test their mettle in plenty of ways as they learn more about it. Wroblewski's script is meticulous in delivering the foundation of the tale to the reader. Rubio's artwork is the perfect match for the book as it underscores the brooding sense of doom awaiting the characters. Enenra #1 is very much a solid start to a new horror comic series.

Enenra #1 is available April 1.