White Sky #4 – Don’t Look, Don’t Listen

When the world of White Sky ended, it didn’t end with a bang, but with a blinding, endless expanse. The sky went white, and the rules of survival were rewritten almost overnight. Now, Violet moves forward in a world fraught with ruthless scavengers and dwindling resources. As Violet and Walter finally reach San Francisco, what happens when the city isn’t the source of safety and supplies they thought it would be?

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

Creative Team

Writer: William Harms
Artist: J.P. Mavinga
Color Artist: Lee Loughridge
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover Artist: J.P. Mavinga

Writing

What if the dream is all they have left? That’s the question at the crux of White Sky #4. Little by little, William Harms is giving us a glimpse into the world as it is now and what those who were here before have become. This issue was both haunting and beautiful. Harms continues to develop the relationship between Violet and Walter. Walter lets us know a little bit more about the spirits that inhabit this world.

Speaking of Walter, one of the real highlights of this issue is that Harms begins to make readers intimately aware of how important Walter is to the story. In addition to that, we continue to get teases about “the boy” who was mentioned in previous issues. White Sky #4 appears to be leading us towards an amazing showdown between Walter and the Boy. What more will Harms tell us about the ghosts inhabiting this world and what it means for survivors.

Art

Every single issue of White Sky has seen J.P. Mavinga elevate his art, and this issue is no exception. Mavinga shows some beautiful line work with the ghosts in this issue, as we see perhaps the most detailed look at some of these ghosts that we have seen in the series so far. Mavinga continues to capture the dark, gritty, post-apocalyptic world of the story so perfectly. Mavinga’s use of negative space as shadow fits so elegantly into this story.

Lee Loughridge colors this issue perfectly. The use of color palettes that fit this survival-first-world feel like they’re just the right touch. I love the spectral feel and color of the ghosts that Loughridge imbues into the characters.The story and art would still be great if it was all black and white, but it’s the color from Loughridge that draws you into the hopelessness of the world that Violet finds herself in. Ed Dukeshire continues to do a stellar job with lettering, ensuring that the reader is able to follow the story while allowing the art to speak to the reader. The SFX integration into the story feels very organized and purposeful in a way that contributes to the story.

Final Thoughts

Every issue of this story gets better and better. It seems as if the writing and visual teams feed off each other, pushing one another to get better and better as they go. I’m so intrigued by the relationship Walter may have with the Boy, and loved seeing more defined images of the ghosts. Simply put, White Sky is a story that should be on any horror fan’s pull list.

Overall Grade: 10 / 10

Are you loving White Sky so far? Let me know in the comments