Review: Surface Tension #3
Previously in Surface Tension #2
Mutants
Blue Meg sees a vision of the corals going volcanic and destroying the island.
Brieth is dealing with the after effects of the sea monster attack. They begin to grow suspicious of the Blue People whose return immediately preceded this new threat. Cassel and Mary try to quell the growing unease. A creepy, cloaked Blue Megumi tells the crowd they need to evacuate before the Coral Sentinels destroy the island. The inhabitants don’t feel safe on shore anymore, especially with the Blue Returned espousing prophecies of death from beneath hoods.
A nearby flying Sea Monster chooses then to make its move. It poisons Zilla before Cassel is able to deter it. Meg lays her healing hands on Zilla, absorbing the poison out of him. Meg once again urges everyone to move to safer ground.
Cassel commandeers a group of men, including Shariq to help with the evacuation. Shariq is reunited with Shawna. She refuses to leave Blue Ryan. Shariq (the sap) agrees to stay, too.
Tsunami-sized waves and Sea Monsters send the island inhabitants running.
Blue Meg is transforming into…something. She insists on staying in the Bath House and Mary decides to stay with her. Blue Meg does a little Water Bending to convince Cassel that she may be their ticket to safety. Blue Kyle, on the other hand, doesn’t care about danger to himself or others. He’s having visions of his brother Kyle and feels compelled to go find him. Shariq the Sap supports him and tells Shawna to go with Ryan. Cassel and a few others decide to stay and fight.
Blue Meg asks Mary to hypnotize her to help her connect with her missing memories. Mary worries that it didn’t go so well the first time they tried this.
Cue Flashback
After losing Erik, Meg returned to Brieth to stay with Mary and her husband Geoff. The Coral Sentinels have just appeared as have the Shell people that worship them. Mary and Geoff marvel at the ecological recovery and worry over the rumors of the Coral calling people to them. Meg shares the visions that she’s been having of Erik and asks Mary to hypnotize her.
In her hypnotic state, Meg visits a tall sea anemone tower. At the top, She sees a large map of human DNA. A shell-masked, hooded figures intones “It’s time” and pours liquid from a shroud through a hole in the tower. Meg walks closer to the Shell Mask when a huge phantom jellyfish tentacle wraps her up takes off with her. Shell Mask turns crusader and rescues Meg from the phantom jellyfish.
The Shell Mask Crusader takes Meg tells Meg the coral got access to human DNA through Erik and it can use this connection to absorb all humans into it and taking them back to where life began, the sea. He gives Meg a Ball of Light to protect her for when the time comes and send her back to consciousness.
Back on Brieth, Shariq and Cassel construct a trap for the sea monsters. While they work, Cassel lets Shariq the Sap know the boy’s unrequited love for Shawna is obvious. Much to Shariq’s relief, the romance talk is interrupted by a huge Sea Monster. All the monster wants is to be reconnected and find Erik, the Defector. Not ready to surrender their flesh, humans try to light the Sea monster on fir, to no avail. It reaches a Sea Creature claw to grab Cassel and Shariq….
Thoughts
This issue ramped up the action. Sea Monsters attacks, tsunami waves, oil drum bombs and guns. It also spelled out exactly what the Coral’s intent is for the humans. Aside from the cliffhanger ending, I’m interested in seeing how they develop the transformation of the Blue People. I’m not that interested in Blue Ryan finding his little brother, but I’m sure we’ll get more of that, too. I do hope Shawna ditches Blue Ryan for Shariq the Sap. Not that Shariq deserves it, but Ryan is kinda being a jerk.
