Black Science Vol. 9: No Authority But Yourself
Rick Remender, writer; Matteo Scalera, artist; Moreno Dinisio, colors
Image Comics, 2019
After all this time, the finale caught me by surprise. Not only did I not realize this was the series ending before I began reading it, I wasn't even sure after finishing. I think this is more of a commentary on the open-ended multiverse nature of the series than the specific storytelling in this installment. It was always hard to tell what was "real," or even what "real" meant in this context.
As the story opens, Grant has been reunited with his family--but in the process the Eververse has been erased. So they are in the only remaining universe, and Grant exiles Kadir into a dysfunctional world. He hatches a plan to attack the witch Doxta (as one of the characters says, "I guess I could pretend to understand..."). When they launch their attack they find themselves cycling through several different realities.
Next thing we know, Grant and family are living in a bizarre totalitarian state (but with a happy face) with Kadir in charge. Grant remembers what the world was like before, and can't help but rebel--as he always has, being an anarchist and all. This sets off another whole set of alternative time lines. In the end he identifies an Eververse reality very close to theirs, but with everyone in the family alive and happy. Sara agrees to come with him, and the Pillar takes them there. The final frame finds them all together at a picnic, happy and looking forward to a bright future.
Despite everything that has happened--and Grant's tendency to screw things up and hurt those close to him--it's a hopeful ending. Maybe Grant really has learned his lesson, and will be grateful to simply have a normal life with his family. If I didn't know that this was the final issue, I could easily accept a new story arc where all of this turns out to have been a dream, or an alternate Eververse reality.
Replies