By d. emerson eddy — Since the first issue, Self/Made has been about change. Unexpected change and strange revelations, but change nonetheless, going from one state of being to the next. A large part of that has been rooted in playing with genre conventions and upending the status quo from issue to issue, so I don't want to go into detail about the plot so much, but I will say that the structure of revealing layers upon layers as the story progresses, like an onion, is one of the freshest narrative methods I've seen in some time. It's not so much an “everything you know is wrong” type of shock, but a continuous evolution of perspective. There is always another layer to the onion.

This final issue, at least for now, allows writer Mathew Groom a fair amount of space to make us question the nature of the hero and the villain, what it means to sacrifice, what it's like to bring truth and freedom to everyone versus the selfishness of seeking revenge. It's fairly heady stuff, but not surprising—this story has been dealing with deeper moral and existential philosophy since the beginning, wrapped in a deceptively simple genre tale.

Bringing these worlds to life have been artist Eduardo Ferigato and colorist Marcelo Costa (with flats from Mariana Calil). While there has been a wide variety of worldscapes throughout the series, this issue focuses on one as our hero Amala transcends and faces off against a very changed antagonist who has been dogging her since the first issue. The designs for his final form are very interesting as his internal monster become external. As is the idea of empty space outside of the brief islands as reality seems to be breaking apart.

Overall, this series has been packed with thought-provoking ideas about identity and existence as our protagonist, Amala, changed through self-actualization. It has been exciting and enthralling, and so beautifully brought to life by Groom, Ferigato, Costa, Calil, and Peteri. Self/Made #6 may bring this stage of the story to a close, but hopefully there will be more in the future.

Self/Made #6
Writer: Mathew Groom
Artist: Eduardo Ferigato
Colorist: Marcelo Costa
Color Flats: Mariana Calil
Letterer: A Larger World Studio's Troy Peteri
Publisher: Image
Price: $3.99

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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.