Our Bones Dust

On a ruined Earth, an unknown amount of years in the future, humans still struggle to survive.  Some have managed to band together and form settlements where a semblance of civilization resides.  Others have congealed into roaming packs of raiders and mercenaries.  Then there are those who have decided to go it alone, like the mute and feral boy at the heart of this comic.  All of them are being observed by some alien intelligences who have come to observe the planet in their robotic bodies.  While that may render them immune to the threat posed by the current state of humanity, our past may have some far more nasty surprises in store for them.

This comes to us from creator Ben Stenbeck, best known for his extensive work with Mike Mignola in the “Mignolaverse” and the first (and best) half of “Baltimore.”  While this is a major break from the kind of supernatural action we’re used to seeing from him, it doesn’t feel all that different in terms of tone.  There’s lots of strangeness to be observed in this story, from the alien machines, to the human ones, and what humanity itself has to offer.  In that regard, expect lots of broken speech, surprising violence, some body horror, and even a little tragedy too.

All of that is a good thing as the biggest problem with “Our Bones Dust” is that it feels somewhat slight in terms of its storytelling.  You’ll appreciate the strangeness Stenbeck brings to the material because it would’ve likely felt very run-of-the-mill without it.  The creator also shows that he’s really good with the sci-fi/postapocalyptic setting as he gives its run-down looks and alien tech a distinctive look that’s quite appealing with Dave Stewart’s bright coloring work.  While Stenbeck doesn’t knock it out of the park in his solo creator debut, he does show that he’s someone worth following when he’s not being written by Mignola.