Writer: Chris Dingess
Penciller: Matthew Roberts
Inker: Tony Akins
Colors: Owen Gieni
Letterer: Pat Brosseau
Publisher: Image Comics
Price: $2.99

Manifest Destiny’s latest arc is coming to a close, this issue. The mysterious fog that has plagued Lewis and Clark’s camp has been averted, but Sacagawea goes into labor. Can Mrs. Boniface deliver the child safely to this new world?

This issue was great, and it shows the aftermath of the fog. It was an interesting arc, that shows the crew members’ worst fears, even going so far as to show how cruel they were to the few creatures that aided them. Sacagawea’s pregnancy comes full circle as well; which has been around since the beginning of the story.

The writing was strong this issue, and tells how the characters are coping with the effects of the fog. A few of the crew members feel horrible for what they’ve done, and others just deal with it. Like Sergeant Russell, who bashed in Private Carver’s head with a rock (under the delusion of the fog, Carver looked to Russell like one of the cyclops monsters they’ve encountered).

I really like how Dingess manages to juggle the various characters, and adds more depth to them. Honestly, it’s kind of hard to keep track of most of the crew, outside of the ones you would see most of the time. Having Sacagawea finally give birth was good, and gave another reason for her to keep going. As the issue winds down, we get quite the surprise as this latest arc ends. The dialog was was impeccable, at having the characters see their worst fears come to light, and dealing with them. There’s some nice character development, which adds to the characters themselves. The pacing was fine and flows well throughout the title.

The art is stellar and has been consistent so far. Roberts and Akins create some visually striking imagery with impressive line work – giving The characters a bigger sense of realism. The various hallucinations the crew has been seeing are frightening, and carry the weight of what they’ve been through. The panel layouts are well done, and work with the art. The lettering is solid, and compliments the story well. Finally, the color palate is impressive and makes the issue shine.

Overall, a great end to another arc of Manifest Destiny, and I can’t wait to see how the next one starts.

4.5 Sacagaweas out of 5