What's the Furthest Place from Here? Vol. 1: Getting Lost at the End of the World

What's the Furthest Place from Here? Vol. 1: Getting Lost at the End of the World
Tyler Boss & Matthew Rosenberg, storytellers; Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, lettering
Image Comics, 2022

This is a dystopian tale, although it's not obvious at first. We just see a small group living in a record store, which we later learn is a family called the Academy. It's after curfew, but their friend Slug shows up at the door. He's a grown-up (which means age 16), so that's not supposed to happen. Then they see another family (who wear cartoonish pig masks and are called Big Business, because their home is a former bank) in their territory after dark, which is a violation of the neighborhood pact. Not to mention the Strangers, who do not look quite human, and are apparently in charge. Slug says he went into the wastelands and found "everything." So, the mythical City may actually be real.

Slug disappears, and the young (and pregnant) Sid goes after him, which sends the whole family on a mission to find her and bring her back. They soon find themselves in conflict with several other families, and when they finally return home their building is on fire. They head for the Market (which they think is another mythical place, until they find it, at the site of the former Boston Market). From there they go to the Bold Folks Home, a former retirement home. Eventually the Academy winds up at the Carnival, where they must face Judgement Night. The Academy is disbanded, and most of the family are sentenced to join other families. But their leader Alabama is sentenced to life with the Keepers, who mostly look like adults. Sid is alive after all, and is about to give birth in the final scene.

A strange end to the world, but with plenty of colorful complications, and more mysteries than answers at the end. Boss's artwork is simple but effective, aided by his wild color pallet.

0 members like this