Land of Never #1 – Floating on Air

Land of Never is the story of Jim Hoke. Jim Hoke’s daughter disappeared as he watched, stolen by a humongous individual in a baby mask. What happens when no one believes Jim’s story? Can the retired pathologist find anyone who will listen to him? Will anyone believe him? Forced into an early retirement for unethical decisions on duty, Jim isn’t exactly the most reliable. It seems in the Land of Never, the only one worried about finding Wendy is Jim.

This review is brought to you by Nerd Initiative’s Shawn!

Creative Team

Writer: Steve Orlando
Artist: Miguel Mora
Color Artist: Fares Maese
Letterer: Micah Myers

Writing

What a way to kick off a first issue. This entire issue had me in suspense. Orlando is taking something familiar and twisting it in a fresh new way into an entirely new narrative. The psychological aspect of this story takes the front seat. I found myself wondering if maybe Jim was crazy. Was it all part of his imagination? Jim seems to be the only one interested in answers.

One of the most mind-numbing things that Orlando captures in this issue is the attitudes of others who find themselves in a similar boat to Jim. Sure, they lost their kid, but they seem to have given up. They seem to have accepted their lot. Orlando, in Jim, crafts a broken but dedicated man working tirelessly to see his daughter brought home.

Art

Miguel Mora, Fares Maese, and Micah Myers brought their A game right out of the gate. Mora injects the story with a sense of grit and darkness through line work alone. The lines seem crisper and more deliberate before Wendy’s disappearance, and jagged and rough as Jim deals with the fallout of her disappearance.

Fares Maese helps set the tone even further with the coloring. It’s through Maese’s colors that you get the mood of exactly how deep Wendy’s disappearance has caused Jim to sink. He’s gaunt and run down. The settings change as well, even though they’re the same locations as before Wendy disappeared. They’re now darker, a little bit messier, and imbued with the haunting shadow of Wendy’s disappearance.

Micah Myers does a great job with lettering. Bold emphasis and a variety of styles really help set this book apart.

Final Thoughts

This book was everything I would want out of a first issue. I’m really excited to see how this creative team takes a well-known story as the premise and moves it into something between a psychological thriller and horror. There are no heroes here, and the shadows themselves are waiting to make their move.

Overall Grade: 9/10

What did you think of Land of Never’s debut? Let me know in the comments