5. Manifest Destiny #3 by Chris Dingess and Matthew Roberts (Image)
It's 1804, the American Frontier, and explorers Lewis and Clark have made it to the abandoned settlement of La Charette after escaping some half-man/half-buffalo monsters. But their troubles have just begun - the inhabitants of La Charette seem to have morphed into plant zombies! And what happened to their Native American guide who was supposed to meet them here? Manifest Destiny is a series that gets better with each passing issue. #3 gets right into it with some brilliant and gross action. But what I liked about this sequence the most was Clark's initial reaction to the wave of Swamp Thing lookalikes - he talks to them first. How many times have you read a comic where the characters have fought first and asked questions later? Here, the characters do the sensible thing and attempt to avoid the arbitrary violence by simply talking. Of course, it's a futile gesture, but it's still a nice touch and shows how markedly different this comic is from others. The action is clever and involving, with the expedition first using bullets, then blades, then fire, as they take on the plant zombies. It's beautifully drawn by Matthew Roberts, whose art on this title has been the highlight throughout, and his green zombie creatures are both pretty to look at and terrifying at the same time. Later on we find out how La Charette fell apart though no real answers are given and the aura of mystery is preserved. A new character is introduced at the end who looks to be a real firecracker and a great addition to the group so, as exciting as this issue was, it looks like the next one will be even crazier! Manifest Destiny #3 is a fantastic comic in a great series - definitely check this title out if you haven't already.