ANTARCTICA #6, by Image Comics on 12/13/23, brings readers to the other side of the looking glass when we see what Jerome Curtis has been up to since he disappeared years ago.
The Details
- Written by: Simon Birks
- Art by: Willi Roberts
- Colors by: Willi Roberts
- Letters by: Lyndon White
- Cover art by: Willi Roberts (cover A)
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: December 13, 2023
Is ANTARCTICA #6 Good?
Simon Birks begins the second volume of Hannah Curtis’s multiversal adventure to find her long-lost father in ANTARCTICA #6. This time, Birks methodically builds a world beyond our own to set the stage for Jerome’s eventual reunion with his daughter.
When last we left Hannah Curtis, the arrival of a third and deadlier research team from an alternate Earth forced Hannah to team up with Dr. Curtis to escape to another jump point, where they were met with one of Dr. Curtis’s allies. Now, Hannah’s adventure through the multiverse is paused while readers witness Jerome Curtis’s involvement in a research experiment that borrows Hannahs from alternate Earths and times. But to what end?
What’s great about ANTARCTICA #6? After a mind-bending first volume, Birks gives some much-needed attention to Hannah’s father by piecing together what happened after he disappeared. Birks plants a small forest’s worth of mystery seeds to let you know Jerome Curtis has been very busy, and at least a few of those seeds contain high intrigue.
What’s not so great about ANTARCTICA #6? After an uneven first volume that occasionally suffered from incomplete plotting, this first issue in the next volume drastically decelerates the pace compared to the previous issue and plants mystery seeds that can be as confusing as they are intriguing. One of the main critiques from the first five issues is the disjointed way Birks presented the story by taking massive jumps in plot development without fully explaining what happened. This issue doesn’t show those massive yet incomplete jumps, but confusion abounds because nothing is explained (yet).
How’s the art? Excellent. Willi Roberts is one of the few artists who can present highly referenced (referenced from photos) art and still make it feel suitable for the comic medium. Roberts’s details and color applications look great, and the visual drama is outstanding.
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What’s ANTARCTICA #6 About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our ANTARCTICA #5 review to find out how Hannah Curtis escaped her attackers.
We begin with a 7-year-old Hannah watching a Christmas movie at home while her older sister, Eve, leaves to spend a few days with their grandparents. Her father, Jerome, explains he kept Hannah behind because she’s younger, and he wanted to spend quality time with her at Christmas.
Outside the walls of their home, the soldiers and scientists from an alternate Earth study young Hannah. Jerome is a willing participant in the observation, and whenever he leaves the house on a supposed “errand,” he consults with the scientists about their progress.
We conclude the issue with contentious discussions, more Hannahs, and weird machines.
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Final Thoughts
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ANTARCTICA #6 slows down the pace and increases the mystery when the next volume focuses on what happened to Jerome Curtis. Birks plants multiple seeds of mystery to build curiosity, and Roberts’s art is excellent. That said, the momentum from the previous issue is all but gone, replaced by substantial confusion about what’s happening.
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