Black Science vol. 7: Extinction is the Rule

Have you ever wondered what it would look like when Rick Remender writes a story that puts his protagonists so far in the red that it doesn’t make sense for them to come out all right in the end, yet they manage to do it anyway?  Well wonder no more as “Extinction is the Rule” has finally given us that story! After setting up not one, but two cliffhangers for the members of the McKay family and their companions, the writer offers up the briefest of respites (and a foreshadowing of things to come) before plunging back into the threat posed by the Zirites.  While two of the story’s threads converge at this point to allow our protagonists to consolidate their forces, they’re still going to need to deal with the threats posed by the telepathic Draln, the witch Doxta, and whatever scheme Kadir has cooked up to save himself.

Matteo Scalera’s art is as impressively kinetic as ever, giving the action scenes real momentum to them.  The action, still contrasting nicely with the low-key narration that usually accompanies it, can sometimes carry you through the increasingly depressing story as it seeks to grind down anyone who even tries to oppose it.  In fact, it gets to the point where Remender can’t even be bothered to properly set up the nasty surprises he has in store for his cast. Witness Pia’s tribulations in the final issue where she’s doomed, then saved, then immediately doomed again along with everyone else!  When the Pillar is used to make one final leap at the end of the volume it feels like a necessary measure to wipe away all of the chaos in the story up to this point. My hope is that Remender is doing this in order to set up the endgame for this series, which should only be two or three volumes (please make it two) away at this point.  After a volume like this the end of “Black Science” can’t come soon enough.