By d. emerson eddy — After a week of ridiculous heat and humidity where I live, the temperature has finally dropped a bit to more reasonable levels. The humidity is still present, but we're not hitting the mid-40s Celsius. The trade-off, though, is some extreme weather patterns, thunderstorms, tornado warnings, and potential hail. Those last two left me scratching my head, but hey, what makes any sense any more in 2020? In any event, it still has me reading some comics that address climate change and the world that comes after a potential sea change. This week I've got Frostbite #1 from Joshua Williamson, Jason Shawn Alexander, Luis NCT, and Steve Wands. It was among the last of the Vertigo projects before the rebranding to DC Vertigo, and eventual closure of the line, but it helped exhibit the fertile imagination and wealth of stories that could be told with the imprint.

The first issue sets up a world where attempts to harness the changes the world was undergoing due to climate change as an energy source unleashed a new ice age, blanketing the planet in cold and ice. And along with it a deadly pandemic in the titular Frostbite, a disease that essentially turns people into ice sculptures. It introduces us to the last of the scientists who caused the mess, his daughter who might have a cure to the pandemic, some of the people hunting them, and the team of transporters hired to take the doctors to their destination.

I find that writer Joshua Williamson excels at high concept genre stories. His Ghosted and Birthright are among my favorites, and he brings that kind of energy here in what's essentially a sci-fi thriller. He weaves the concept nicely through the characters, driving everything forward at a near breakneck speed. There are no wasted moments here as the story unravels. The hints of the criminal network hunting the doctors are fascinating and the questions of morality in all of it makes you wonder at the beginning who you really should be backing.

Likewise, the artwork from Jason Shawn Alexander and Luis NCT is delivered with a haunting beauty and danger. Alexander is one of the artists out there who can make the most horrifying scene look beautiful. He uses a style that mixes grit and shadow with realism that makes you just want to pore over each page. When coupled with Luis NCT's colors there's a wonderful painted effect that enhances the overall beauty of the page. The endless white gives a feeling of existential horror to the story, making the naturalized colors of the characters stand out more as the world closes in on them. Steve Wands takes an interesting approach here with his word balloon tails, giving them a thicker line that ends in a straight edge rather than a point. It gives the lettering a very unique feel to it.

Overall, Frostbite #1 is a great addition to the post-climate change catalogue from Williamson, Alexander, Luis NCT, and Wands. It approaches it from a high concept science fiction angle and then pivots it through a character-driven action thriller lens, elevated further through some truly gorgeous artwork. As the series progresses, it borrows from some other post-apocalyptic sources, and just gains more momentum. I definitely hope that the creators all get a chance to explore this world further somewhere down the line.

Frostbite #1 - CLASSIC COMIC OF THE WEEK

Frostbite #1
Writer: Joshua Williamson
Artist: Jason Shawn Alexander
Colorist: Luis NCT
Letterer: Steve Wands
Publisher: DC Comics / Vertigo
Release Date: September 28, 2016
Long after Earth has entered its second ice age, humanity has learned to cope with the frozen elements. In this cold and bleak future, heat is power, and brutal gangs roam the icy wasteland looking for it. If that wasn’t enough, a terrible disease nicknamed “frostbite” is literally freezing people from the inside out. Once you catch it, the effect is instantaneous. There is no immunity, there is no cure. Until now. Doctor Henry Bonham and his daughter Victoria have found the key to ending frostbite. If they can get from Mexico City to a secret government outpost in Alcatraz, they could stabilize life across the globe. But to do that they’ll need to stay alive. That’s where Keaton comes in. She and her crew have faced worse journeys before, but never with the potential consequences this one poses if they fail.
Price: Frostbite #1 $3.99 | Frostbite Collection available for $12.99

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.