THE OBLIVION TRIALS #3, from Source Point Press on August 31st, 2022, pulls back on the curtain on Kiko’s allies and enemies when he hears how they became participants in the Trials. Unfortunately, time is not on their side.
The Details
- Written by: Brandon Chen, Fred Packard
- Art by: Anderson Carman
- Colors by: Anderson Carman
- Letters by: Zen
- Cover art by: Anderson Carman
- Cover price: $3.99
- Release date: August 31, 2022
Is It Good?
THE OBLIVION TRIALS #3 is an interesting entry in the series because its strengths center around events of the past and foreshadowing of the future, leaving the present to fend for itself. In other words, this issue is mostly good.
Chen and Packard take a slight respite with flashbacks to Emily’s and Harun’s histories. If you’re up to speed on the first issue, you can guess comes from a bad (to put it mildly) relationship. Harun’s background is spelled out, but the flashback leads to more questions than answers regarding how we became part of the Trials. When you put all that together, you get a more detailed picture of Kiko’s allies, even if the picture doesn’t quite make sense.
The present chaos in Kiko’s adventure leads him to come face-to-face with Henry, Emily’s ex-boyfriend. The scene firmly establishes that the afterlife suits Henry’s murderous personality, which elevated his threat level considerably.
In terms of pure character development, this is an excellent issue. The pacing is solid, the dialog feels organic, and the flashbacks give you plenty of information. The present, however, lacks progress as Kiko and his friends find themselves cornered in a cave against Henry and his gang. Kiko escapes, but the escape feels forced, and it appears to be a contrivance to foreshadow the arrival of a new character.
The art by Carman is very good. The action is swift and energetic, the character acting is terrific, and the whimsical elements are eye-catching. Despite the quibbles with the writing, the art is on-point.
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What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Check out our THE OBLIVION TRIALS #2 review to find out how Kiko ran into Emily and Harun.
We begin with Kiko, Emily, and Harun running from the witch’s hut to avoid Henry and his gang. They find refuge in a nearby cave, and Kiko uses the brief pause to ask how Emily and Harun wound up in the Trials.
Emily describes a life of drugs, abusive relationships, and petty crimes. She couldn’t stay with Henry after his abusive ways became too much, so she ran away after stealing all his money.
Harun, as far as he could remember, has always been in the Trials. He was born to a small tribe that was wiped out years ago. Unfortunately, it’s not clear how/when Harun dies or how he came to accept the Trials as a young-ish boy.
We conclude the issue with a hostile confrontation, angler fish, jackalopes, and the light of salvation.
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Final Thoughts
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THE OBLIVION TRIALS #3 is an above-average entry in the series with great character development and interesting foreshadowing. That said, the escape from the cave was too easy/forced, so the new development afterward comes off as unearned.
Related Information
What happens in life after death?
There is no physical evidence to prove what happens after we die. Humanity’s knowledge pertaining to life after death is primarily contained in the texts and tomes of assorted religions, typically describing the afterlife as a spiritual plane of existence higher than our physical world.
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