STAGNANT WATERS #1, from AGT Publishing on 2/1/23, takes readers on a trippy ride when Ian finds himself caught in an interstellar conflict across time and space.
The Details
- Written by: James W. Walton
- Art by: Team Diaverik
- Colors by: David Negrete
- Letters by: Rob Jones
- Cover art by: Sean Toleson
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover price: $5.99
- Release date: February 1, 2023
Is It Good?
STAGNANT WATERS #1 is our first exposure to the indie creators of AGT Publishing, with a story about a man who becomes entrenched in a conflict involving aliens and possibly time travelers. James W. Walton’s story, if nothing else, will keep you on your toes.
Walton’s script centers on a man, Ian, who works for Enki, a technology corporation embroiled in social-political conflicts and intrigue. When Ian heads home from a work party, he’s kidnapped by otherwordly visitors to correct a catastrophic mistake before it happens.
There’s a lot more to the story, but that’s as much as we could piece together with clarity from the first issue. If you’re into sci-fi comics, STAGNANT WATERS #1 has everything you could possibly want. Strange discoveries from orbits, aerial battles between alien-looking ships, teleportations, alien races, and more. There’s nothing ordinary about this comic.
That said, there are two down points to this issue. First and less critical, the narration is overwritten. Walton frequently waxes poetic to make the proceedings sound deep and layered, but the point of the narration frequently gets lost in its own self-importance. You get the gist most of the time, but the narration would benefit from keeping things simple without trying so hard to sound deep.
Second, the plot is super-convoluted. Within the span of an oversized floppy, you get introduced to terrorist groups, shady corporate dealers, multiple factions that are either from the future or alien worlds, latent superpowers, alien assassins, and more. It appears Ian is the focal point of the story, but there’s so much going on around him that it’s nearly impossible to keep track of who’s who and what’s important. The seeds of an interesting story are present, but much like the narration, the story is overcomplicated and overwritten.
How’s the art? It’s pretty decent. Team Diaverik has plenty of work to do creating so many distinctive characters, ships, and settings while maintaining consistency, and it works. As a bonus, this is clearly a digital art job, but David Negrete delivers above-average work on the coloring to avoid the typical layer flatness that comes from digital art.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with Ian attending a party hosted by his workmates. Ian is fascinated y a new report that an eco-terrorist group has kidnapped an executive with the Enki Corporation, Ian’s employer. When Ian and his friends leave the party, their car is bathed by a bright light in the sky.
Elsewhere, a strange metallic orb scans the city, looking for Ian. The passengers chat about resetting Ian’s placement, hoping he’ll get his mission right before he dies… again.
We conclude the issue with aerial battles, superpowered fights, and intimidation.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
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STAGNANT WATERS #1 begins a vast time-space adventure for a young man who doesn’t realize he’s at the center of an intergalactic conflict. The story gives sci-fi every concept you could imagine and more, and the art is better than average for a digital, indie offering. That said, the narration is overwritten, and the plot frequently slips from complex to confusing.
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