Survival #1 Review: Vampires Meet A Militia in a Major Bloodbath

Billed as “Red Dawn meets 30 Days of Night,” Survival tells the story of some American roughneck types in the wilderness of Alaska that come face to face with monsters. They’re branded as elite members of the US military, seemingly having a convention in the middle of nowhere to talk about state’s rights, the 2nd Amendment, and maybe even joining a “private security firm.” Ahead of their gathering however reports of a Russian military base being taken over and potentially deliberately being destroyed by a nuclear reactor have made their way out into the world. So when a crashed airplane is discovered in the wilderness with an elite Russian agent inside who has a hunger for human flesh and a penchant for killing, the level of preparedness on display definitely seems useful.

Given the setting and characters of Survival it’s nearly impossible to not read this story as an outlandish power fantasy.  “See? We told you that one day you would need guns!” seems to be the ethos that most of the characters here are operating with, and sure enough they’re ready to pull the trigger when the time comes. Multiple references are also made throughout the comic to Three Percenters, a sect of anti-government collectives across the United States that has had ties to the likes of The Oath Keepers and The Proud Boys. Our lead characters are never explicitly shown to be a part of this group but there’s a clear shorthand being broadcast about the type of people at the center of this story.

Series writer Sean Lewis does seem to have an ace in his back pocket though with lead character Emma Reed. Though raised by a former Green Beret father with an indefensible style of parenting, her internal strife with her upbringing has already opened an interesting window into this world that is outshined by its interest in excessive violence. Will she be forced to reconsider her father’s choices in raising her when faced with this specific survival situation? Will she reconcile what is happening around her with what she wants out of life? Is this all leading toward a story where the conclusion is that military preparedness is actually really great? Who can say, Survival #1 is all about setup, which stalls its storytelling.

Survival is drawn by artist Bryndon Everett, who is also credited with colors alongside Natalie Barahona. Everett’s work is at its best when he’s given an intense lens of focus. Any panel where a character’s expression is paramount or a specific action beat is the sole framing of an image ends up looking tremendous. He’s able to squeeze an immense amount of detail into these parts of the story, in particular faces; and considering the violent content of some moments you’re gonna need some good expressions to sell it.

Larger panels where the focus is bigger however leave something to be desired. Facial expressions go from extensive detail to dots for eyes and simple lines for mouths. Any panel that has more then three people is also largely devoid of the same levels of detail, at least on the periphery. It’s a shame because there are moments where the art looks outstanding, and others where it doesn’t even seem like the same person. Barahona’s coloring however does add an extra layer to some of the dynamic action sequences. Moments with a lot of blood shed and gunfire get the right style of shading. Shadows within the woods play a big role in some key moments, and they stand out in the exact right way thanks to this added layer in the images.

From this juncture it doesn’t really appear that Survival is doing anything that has not already been done before, but there’s definitely room for surprises, which would be welcome. Though a slew of unique characters are introduced, Sean Lewis clearly has his interest in what his lead character’s journey will be throughout the narrative, even with potentially problematic window dressing surrounding them. At least artist Bryndon Everett will be able to capture it all in grim detail when given the chance.

Published by Dark Horse Comics

On May 3, 2023

Written by Sean Lewis

Art by Bryndon Everett

Colors by Natalie Barahona with Bryndon Everett

Letters by Ed Dukeshire

Cover by Tomm Coker