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Earthdivers #1
- Writer:
- Stephen Graham Jones
- Artist:
- Davide Gianfelice
- Letterer:
- Steve Wands
- Cover Artist:
- Rafael Albuquerque
- Publisher:
- IDW Publishing
- Price:
- $3.99
- Release Date:
- 2022-10-05
- Colorist:
- Joana Lafuente
Until the fifteenth century, many people believed that the Earth ends in the west and that ships would fall off the edge of the planet. That is until Christopher Columbus sailed toward the west and came upon dry ground, dubbing it "Indios", believing he had reached Asia. But what if that momentous discovery led to the turning point in history and the world took a sharp turn for the worst with America at the eye of the storm? This October, IDW Publishing is teaming up with New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones for a time-traveling and cutthroat tale about a group of Indigenous survivors who make it their life's mission to right some historic wrongs. With artwork from Davide Gianfelice and Joana Lafuente and lettering by Steve Wands, Earthdivers #1 gets off to a rough start on the high seas.
Set in the year 2112, as an apocalypse passes over the world, four survivors from the Indigenous tribes of Inupiat, Seminole, Lakota, and Blackfeet band together for a groundbreaking mission. They have discovered a cave that allows one person to travel through time at a time. With the current course of history taking a downturn, they have decided to use this temporal power to change things forever by removing America from the map so that the world may live. Tad, the self-appointed leader of the team, makes the sacrifice and jumps 600 years in the past to become a sailor aboard the ship Santa Maria to kill Christopher Columbus.
Earthdivers #1 sets sail on an alluring premise that is both historically and politically charged, especially when seen from the perspective of the protagonists. The bloody real-life history plays its part, although it's limited to the characters' motivations, without going in too deep. It is Stephen Graham Jones' second endeavor into the comic book world, and certain areas like the exposition-heavy scenes set in the present feel cumbersome. However, the ease with which Jones gets into the thick of the plot and propels Tad from one nail-biting moment to another highlights his writing experience. Tad's psychological breakdown in the open sea due to the sheer amount of pressure on him adds another layer to this ticking time bomb of a story.
Davide Gianfelice's drawings may be stylized, but the organic movement of the characters and the sheer volume of the panels leave an everlasting impact. Coupled with Joana Lafuente's colors, they capture the spirit of old-timey marine art, with bright lighting bringing the ship and its sailors into focus. The frothing waves and wet floorboards deepen the adventurous tone of the book when graphical depictions of murder and mayhem suddenly remind the reader of the serious undertaking of the hapless protagonist. However, with Jones' superfluous dialogues forcing the art team to work around boxes, breaking the panels into smaller ones, the book appears more frantic than the progression it makes.
Earthdivers #1 has drama, grueling tension, and a penchant for violence in a tightly written narrative. Each protagonist gets a voice in the story, but the main focus remains on the time traveler, as everything hinges on the actions of one man and his conviction. But with Tad, a man trying to balance the good and bad sides of his being, overcomplicating things due to his ineptitude, the story spreads its sails, erasing the lines that separate men from monsters.