Sneha Jaiswal (X | Instagram | FB | GoodReads)
Some slimy inexplicable thing starts to spread through earth, killing everything in its path, wiping out a large human population until scientists figure out the only way to fight it is diamonds. If that sound random as hell, weird and maybe even funny… it is. “By A Thread” by Scott Snyder, Valeria Favoccia, and Whitney Cogar is a sci-fi futuristic dystopian comic-book series that doesn’t make a lot of sense but has flashy expressive artwork to keep readers engaged.
Issue #1 of “By A Thread” quickly explains the basic premise of the story: the sinister slime, known as the “shroud,” has taken over the Earth, and survivors now reside in small settlements called needles—makeshift towers constructed on diamond stumps. The protagonist, a young man named Jo, provides readers with a brief overview of how his post-apocalyptic world functions. Jo lives on ‘Needle 3’ with his best friend, Canon, a sweet bespectacled boy with a pet goat and the two often strike deals with dangerous people to barter essential things. While all Jo and his friends want to do is live a peaceful life, but a warlord wreaks havoc in their community, forcing them to consider their options.
About 40 pages long, the first issue introduces a Darth Vader-like antagonist called Charon, whose name is inspired by the mythological ferryman that transports the dead in the underworld. Before Charon comes into the picture, another intimidating villain, a dangerous woman named Ren, rampages through Jo’s community. Ren is an associate of Charon, and together they are searching for a man known as the “traveller,” whom they believe is hiding in Jo’s needle. Okay, that sentence sounds funny, but as explained before, “needle” is a term for settlements.
The character designs for the antagonists are gritty and convey a good sense of dread, while the other supporting characters are a lot more joyful and fun to look at all. Unlike some of other Scott Snyder comic-book series like “Night of the Ghoul” or “Barnstormers”, where the first issue don’t have enough story for the reader to form a concrete opinion about the work, “By A Thread” starts off on a strong note, even if its primary premise seems a little loopy and far-fetched. The issue ends with Jo discovering something spectacular, an object that changes his worldview and in his own words – “changes everything”.
Issue #2 of the comic book series is slightly smaller and begins with a flashback of how Jo lost his family to the shroud but found his lifelong friend – Canon. Fast-paced and filled with vivid illustrations, the second issue focuses on Jo and friends plotting to get away from their needle to explore a mythical island that could give them all a fresh start at life. So, without realizing the dangers of what lies ahead, Jo along with his friends becomes entangled with the traveller, the mysterious person who the blood-thirty Charon is looking for.
It’s the artwork by Valeria Favoccia and Whitney Cogar that continues to be the highlight of “By A Thread”. The colour palette keeps changing through the pages, so while the first half is a burst of yellow hues, almost blinding the read with a sparkling energy; the second half is a lot more blue-toned and still quite bright. Some of the panels were over-jammed with dialogues, so the issues felt a little cluttered. The creators should’ve shortened the conversations or added more illustrations to space the words out.
Overall, the first two issues are entertaining, and the comic books series is an interesting pick for fantasy fans, especially those who are willing to let go off logic to enjoy a far-fetched exciting story.
Rating: 3.5 on 5. The series is available on Kindle Unlimited.
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