Review of "Dark Engine #5," comic written by Ryan Burton

 Review of

Dark Engine #5, comic written by Ryan Burton

Three out of five stars

A very dark and dangerous apocalypse

 The main premise of this story begins deep in the sea in what is called the world of Shaitan. Somehow, a being called Xurh-Rahab’n has been created and it is powerful, having no difficulty in defeating a very large shark. It feeds and grows very large before it emerges from the sea and proceeds to nearly wipe out everything on land. What was there before is replaced by the slime and spawn exuded by Xurh-Rahab’n, very few humans remain.

 Yet, there appears to be some hope for humanity. A small group of wise men are meeting in some structure with their purpose being the selection of what they are calling “the Inkface.” It is a momentous decision, for the chosen one will leave the safety of the mountains and hunt the Ivory Wolf. The man selected will wear red ink on his face as a symbol of the blood that has been shed.

 There is a lot of ambiguity in this story, while the evil creature is a big ugly, there is no mention of its origin or purpose. In all ecological systems, each living creature occupies a niche. There is also no hint as to the level of intelligence of Xurh-Rahab’n, an important point if there is to be an attempt to defeat it. No actual reference to the Ivory Wolf is given or indications of the skills possessed by the Inkface. While some context as to the creature and the human response is given, there is not enough to embed a strong desire to read more in your brain.