Ei8ht is a new five-issue mini-series from Dark Horse Comics created by artist Rafael Albuquerque and co-writer Mike Johnson. It features Joshua, an explorer of time and space who awakens in uncharted territory afflicted by amnesia. All he has is a wrecked time machine, a futuristic wrist watch, and the number 8 written on his wrist.
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The story itself opens with four basic rules: The past is green. The present is purple. The future is blue. The meld is something else entirely.
Each of those rules is placed in a panel of the corresponding color with the final rule in a faded orange hue. This limited palette composes the full extent of Albuquerque’s coloring work in Ei8ht #1. With few exceptions each panel in each colored in a single monochromatic scheme, forming the beginnings of a time line. These four colors provide a frame of reference which readers must use to interpret what is happening in the story. As the story moves throughout time, it is only the coloring that indicates when each event occurs in relation to others.
Albuquerque and Johnson present the story entirely from Joshua’s perspective providing no more exposition than his rattled, amnesiac mind can summon. Readers experience the return of each memory and every new discovery alongside Joshua. The narrative often springboards from a phrase or image into a flashback. These transitions are quick and occur without direct explanation, making for an often disorienting experience. This also makes for a structurally challenging story, but one that Albuquerque’s use of color tells very well. The transition between orange and blue or back again naturally indicates a shift in setting before the actual setting makes it clear.
The mystery of who Joshua is and how he was come into his current situation is at the core of this comic. It is a mystery box construction with a colorful decoder ring. The lack of information the driver of action and interest, instead of remaining the focus of the story. Joshua is every bit as determined to discover who he is as the reader is, with each possessing the same amount of information. This serves to make the process of discovery a rewarding one where every new flashback and connection is a light bulb appearing above heads of readers and characters alike. Joshua’s characterization is not a mystery. His actions and reactions within the story present a well-formed, relatable human being. Although the lack of information is central to the story, it is not a distraction from the narrative and characters.
There’s plenty of excellent Albuquerque artwork to feast your eyes upon outside of the central mystery and plot as well. This is a time travel story and it includes elements from across the history of earth including futuristic technology and plenty of dinosaurs. The world of Ei8ht, whether it’s set in the past, present, future, or something else entirely, is a visually exciting one.
Ei8ht #1 is a trippy start to an intriguing mini-series. Albuquerque and Johnson are weaving together a story with plenty of personality and momentum despite featuring a fundamental lack of knowledge at its center. They take full advantage of the comics medium in order to tell the tale, using colors in an inspired fashion. It is a great start loaded with promise.
Grade: B+
