GIGA #3, available from Vault Comics on March 31st, 2021, finds Evan hitting rock bottom as the Duster executions by the Order escalate tension throughout the city. When a Duster explosively retaliates, Mason is forced to look deeper into the nomad Giga’s death.
The Details
- Written By: Alex Paknadel
- Art By: John Lê
- Colors By: Rosh
- Letters By: Aditya Bidikar
- Cover Art By: John Lê
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: March 31, 2021
Was It Good?
The art has a Moebius-esque appeal. A European flavor. If you like Moebius comics, you will enjoy the visual aesthetic of this comic.
The story made a small amount of forward progress on the overarching plot, instead opting for more time with character moments. However, the individual moments felt disconnected from each other, which prevented any sense of anticipation or building towards something. In short, very little action and disjointed moments, resulting in a largely stagnant issue.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
We begin with a flashback to the early days after Evan’s accident. Aiko helped design a custom set of prosthetics to help him walk, and they’re working out the kinks. They spend the evening hours talking about life, the Gigas that represent their gods, and their future with the Order.
Back to the present day. A Duster uses a bomb vest to go on a kamikaze mission at the Pangonel in retaliation for the public Duster executions performed by the order.
Later, Evan finds Mason to tell him the Dusters didn’t kill the nomad Giga and their execution was based on a lie. Reluctantly, Mason agrees to take a look at Evan’s evidence at the scrapyard.
Meanwhile, the damaged Aiko doppelganger robot, Laurel, manages to crawl through some air ducts into Evan’s apartment before collapsing. The scene seems innocuous on its own but the doppelganger’s progress through the building happens in the background while a man is in the building’s alley, loudly receiving oral sex from a prostitute. It’s an odd contrast that seems to have no purpose other than shock value.
Back at the scrapyard, Evan shows Mason how the nomad Giga was killed. There’s no physical way its death could have been caused as reported, and Mason is forced to conclude a possible conspiracy is in action. When Mason goes to confront Saber about the Duster arrests, he finds Saber dead in his apartment.
Meanwhile, Evan looks for Laurel near their previous meeting spot with processors he swiped from a Giga carcass. Laurel doesn’t show, so Evan moves on home. During his travels, Evan exchanges some depressing pleasantries with a homeless man and he stops by another Giga looking for heavenly answers to his current troubles.
Credit to Paknadel for showing some emotional depth with this scene. When a character experiences their lowest point, it’s natural for them to lash out in frustration over not knowing what to do, where to go, or why everything is happening to them. This scene captured that sense of hopeless desperation well.
While Evan struggles with his low point, we see speeches and news reports from the Order’s leadership implementing totalitarian crackdowns in response to the Duster bombing. Public peace and order are decaying.
Without revealing the ending, Evan gets an answer to his question (sorta), the kamikaze Duster was not alone, and Laurel reunites with a helpful friend.
Final Thoughts
GIGA #3, available from Vault Comics on March 31st, 2021, brings Evan into the proverbial “Dark Night of the Soul.” The art is pleasant enough, and readers will learn a little more about Evan’s relationship with Aiko, but the net result is a lukewarm simmer rather than a slow burn.
Score: 6/10
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com