Memetic #3 (of 3)
Publisher: BOOM!
Writer: James Tynion IV
Artist: Eryk Donovan
Cover: Eryk Donovan
Ever since the “Good Time Sloth” meme was shown to the world nothing but death and chaos have taken hold of everyone save for a select few. And while some are on a mission to stop the signal, others are just trying to stay alive. So if you thought the first two days were bad then just know that day three is no picnic either. Since Aaron’s emotionally numbing loss last issue he is on edge. The signal itself has evolved and Marcus’ team is still in the dark as to who is behind everything.
Memetic started out as a unique take on the apocalypse but ends up going further and darker than imagined. This was something of a surprise, especially when you have a character like Aaron in the story. Even in this issue when he’s at his lowest point, Tynion shows that he’s still willing to help when a voice comes over the walkie talkie. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to be alone in all of this or he’s just naïve but whatever is driving him is made believable because of Tynion’s writing. The team led by Marcus has a clear mission so it’s a bit easier to see where Tynion is taking them. However you shouldn’t assume to know how it’s going to play out for the group once they reach their destination. The person responsible for the meme is finally revealed and it is both anti climatic and intriguing. “The Maker” does explain several things about what’s happening and clears up some areas while other aspects of the story are left open to interpretation. As the weight of the situation finally sets in, each team member makes up their mind on what to do about the situation. This is another moment that just pulls you further into the story and throws in one final surprise at the end.
Donovan has made the world’s descent into madness more enjoyable to look at with each issue. Some of the stronger panels are the ones without dialogue where you’ll spend more time taking in everything. The couple of panels where Aaron is deciding what to do are pretty intense and you’re snapped back into reality with him when Tynion has him speak again. Now, the giant towers of flesh are the standout visual pieces throughout the book if not only for their sheer size and scope when you think of how many people it takes to make them that large. Even with Adam Guzowski’s colors to brighten things up at times there is still a very dark tone to the story.
Memetic #3 might not be the ending you wanted if you expected everyone to make it in the finale. However, the conclusion might get you talking and open up a dialogue or two about this age we live in. Tynion and Donovan put together something you won’t find anywhere else and in a medium where most of us have “seen it all” it’s always nice to see there’s a few surprises left out there!
Infinite Speech
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