REVIEW: 'Dark Spaces: Wildfire' #1 by Scott Snyder, Hayden Sherman, and Ronda Pattison

 

DARK SPACES: WILDFIRE #1 

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Hayden Sherman, Ronda Pattison

Letters: Andworld Design

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Release Date: July 20, 2022

Cover Price: $3.99

Six weeks into the slow burn of the historic Arroyo Fire, a crew of women from an inmate firefighting program are risking everything on the frontlines when their newest recruit - a white-collar convict with a deep network of shady dealers - discovers they're mere miles from her crooked former associate's mansion. When she proposes a plan to abandon their duties and hunt for riches under cover of smoke and ash, the team must decide if they're ready to jeopardize their one sure path back to normalcy for a shot at a score that would change their lives... But is this a flicker of fortune or a deadly trap? Scott Snyder and breakout artist Hayden Sherman craft an unforgettable heist for a new age in Dark Spaces: Wildfire.

Score: 

★★★★1/2 (4.5/5)

Being a lifelong Californian, I've become accustomed to perennial wildfires throughout the state. So many brave and fearless firefighters take on these unpredictable and destructive infernos risking their own lives to save others and property. One aspect of the tremendous effort to fight these enormous conflagrations is the use of prison firefighter units made up of inmates. It's a program that's been going on for over seventy years and helps the state save millions by using prison labor. It's an invaluable service the state exploits but benefits the inmates very little because they're paid as little as $2 a day and aren't allowed to become firefighters when released from prison. 

These circumstances and a potentially lucrative heist amid a historic wildfire set up this particular and unique story of people with nothing to lose. This particular unit, Crew 513, is made up of all women and led by their C.O. Ruby Ma Ning, or simply Ma. Scott Snyder uses her voice to provide the narration to introduce the crew and explain the circumstances they find themselves in. The first issue leans heavily on establishing the characters and the dynamics that make up the crew. All this happens in the middle of a wildfire lending urgency and desperation to the situation that teeters on possible death and/or immense fortune.  

The unique setting allows for some mind-blowing pencil work, panel design, and vibrant coloring by Hayden Sherman and Ronda Pattison. Just the scale and scope of an enormous wildfire are captured brilliantly by Sherman using sweeping vistas with rising plumes of smoke,, mountainsides engulfed in flames with only treetops exposed amid a sea of fire. All these events are washed in bright red and orange colors radiating a sense of heat and illumination across the landscape that feels overwhelming. Pattison uses a limited color palette that is used individually at times to differentiate character panels. Sherman's panels are varied and innovative elevating the storytelling with creative flourishes that glue the reader to the page. 

'Dark Spaces: Wildfire' #1 is an exciting and unconventional heist story featuring empathetic characters caught in a desperate situation. IDW's foray into original comics is off to a great start as Snyder and Sherman establish something special with 'Wildfire.' A stunningly illustrated issue and a story of exploited firefighters in the bowels of a raging wildfire looking for a life-changing score is the perfect debut issue for creators at the top of their game.