Phantom on the Scan #05

Phantom on the Scan #05

Aftershock Comics 2021

Written by Cullen Bunn

Illustrated by Mark Torres

Lettered by Dave Sharpe

In the heart of the Trellux Institute, an unearthly power is awakening.

As their numbers dwindle, as their psychic abilities threaten to kill them, as a vicious murderer stalks them from the shadows, a group of gifted individuals discovers the terrifying truth about their powers.

Alright so there are so many different plot twists and revelations that occur during this issue that it is kind of crazy. Some things that happened within these pages genuinely shocked me while others felt like an incredibly natural progression of the story and that’s pretty darn amazing. I wish this were a six issue limited series, I miss those, but then even if it were then I’d want this to be a twelve issue maxi-series, where have they disappeared to?, so regardless when the story is this good you just don’t want it to end. This is what Cullen does though he gets you involved, invested and engaged in a story to the extent that you simply wish it would continue because in your mind you still see avenues that can be explored. It is a wonderful gift to have, the gift of storytelling that is and to be able to do it at such a level as this is what makes him so beloved and respected.

I am absolutely thrilled with the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter continues to bring out their personalities as we watch them grow and evolve. The pacing is excellent and as it takes us through the pages revealing more of the story we’re amazed by the way these events unfold.

How we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen is magnificent to see. I love how we see the layers with their avenues opening with new encounters and those that we see explored versus those that aren't. They all really add such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved extremely well.

The interiors here are bloody mindbogglingly brilliant. The creativity and imagination in what we see is phenomenal and this extends to how we see these creatures to how we see the page layouts and there’s so much here that is added to the story in terms of mood, tone and feel that we get out of the interior artwork. The linework is exquisite and how we see the varying weights and techniques being utilised throughout the book to create this level & quality of detail work that we see is truly astonishing. The way we see backgrounds and how they enhance and expand the moments as well as work within the composition of the panels to bring out the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is marvellously rendered. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a masterful eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work shows a sensational eye for how colour works and how to not only apply it with various techniques but how to maximise its effects.

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From concept through execution this book has been flawlessly brought to life. With each turn of the page we’ve seen surprise after surprise and some of the best, most unexpected storytelling from these folks. The writing is utterly spectacular and the characterisation is witty and beguiling while all this is enhanced by these absolutely stunning interiors showcasing why I think Cullen is a modern master of storytelling.