Ascender #8
The UGC Rebels strike a blow against Mother as she prepares to hunt down Mila in Ascender #8, by writer Jeff Lemire, artist Dustin Nguyen, and letterer Steve Wands. This issue reunites a few characters, giving readers some hope for the future, while also making Mother finally seem vulnerable, and introduces a new character into the mix. Even with all of that, it never feels overstuffed or hurried.
On Sampson, a group of vampires talks about the difference between them and vampires from Ostrakon when they are attacked by a mysterious masked man, who calls himself Kanto the Blood Scrapper. At the vampire camp, Andy is brought face to face with Effie. He pleads with her for her help, bringing up their daughter Mila, but it’s to no avail. Mother shows up and stops Effie from feeding on Andy- she needs his blood to be able to track down Mila. As she is about to take it, she screams out that her coven has been attacked and teleports away, leaving Vix to watch over Andy and find Mila. As she arrives on Mata, she finds the rest of the Mothers dead… and she is surrounded by UGC Rebels. Back on Sampson, Helda and Telsa discuss their plans for Mila. Telsa warns Helda not to get too close to the girl, and Mila overhears.
A lot is happening in this issue, and all of it is intriguing. One of the things about the Descender/Ascender universe is that it’s quite Shakespearean- characters are usually related in some way. So, the introduction of Kanto the Blood Scrapper and who he is under the mask is a burning question. Is it Kwon? He’s the last of the main characters of Descender who hasn’t been reintroduced. It’s possible. Beyond that, the moment when Andy is pleading with Effie for her help in escaping and finding Mila is a heartbreaker. There’s a moment where Effie closes her eyes, and it looks like she’s fighting her vampiric nature… then she tells him to shut up and pounces. Jeff Lemire knows just what buttons to push and how to set up a scene for maximum impact.
He also finally shows a vulnerability for Mother, who, throughout the book so far, has seemed pretty unstoppable. Her magic has allowed her to do so much, she’s almost an untouchable force, an inexorable force of nature. However, she panics when the UGC attacks the other Mothers, as they are apparently a source of her power. It also serves to move her away from the main plot. Which lessens but doesn’t negate the danger to the cast. Finally, Lemire throws another little heartbreak at readers with the conversation between Helda and Telsa. Telsa has never been the most caring of the characters, but she grew throughout Descender. However, after losing everything and watching the universe slide into pain and horror, she’s back to being her old cynical self. Helda seems to have a soft spot for Mila and some sympathy for the girl’s plight. Telsa just wants to get rid of her, and when Mila hears that, well, it’s a definite kick to readers’ teeth. We know Mila’s parents are alive, but she doesn’t. She’s even more devastated now than she was before. What could that despair do to her? What foolish things will she do next?
As usual, Dustin Nguyen’s art is beautiful. So much of what Lemire sets out to do would be impossible without his art. He’s able to sell the emotion of every scene- Andy’s desperation, Effie’s conflict, Mother’s fear and anger, and Mila’s utter despondency. There’s a beautiful double-page spread in the book that occurs after Mother reads Andy’s mind and finds out about Mila and Effie; that’s a neat little encapsulation of everything that’s happened in Andy’s life, and it looks incredible.
Ascender #8 does a lot of heavy lifting plot-wise but still gives the characters room for development, using little moments to hit home what’s going on with them. Lemire paces everything beautifully, allowing it all to breathe and develop on its own. He keeps upping the ante on the plot, and it keeps readers invested. Dustin Nguyen’s art keeps the whole thing humming along, giving Lemire’s moments the heft they need to really shine. There’s so much to love in this issue.
Grade: A
