Descender is living proof that Jeff
Lemire can write absolutely anything. From intimate family dramas set in a
single house or small town, to horror, sci-fi, fantasy, superhero stories, both
his own creations and major franchises. With this work, however, he delivered
what I consider the most mature and ambitious work of his career so far.
I should note that I haven’t read his entire bibliography, though I have a
fairly solid, if incomplete, impression. Now that I’ve finished it, I
still have Ascender waiting for me, but everything in its time.
Together with the extraordinary Dustin Nguyen, Lemire presents a breathtaking spectacle: a cosmic adventure with robots, alien races, and humans, an unrelenting chase filled with twists and characters you quickly grow attached to, never knowing if they’ll survive the next page. Don’t let the aesthetic fool you, the gorgeous watercolors mask a story that is often brutal, both psychologically and physically. The series doesn’t shy away from graphic violence, including severed heads. Consider yourself warned.
The narrative is fractured into different fronts, constantly shifting from one group of characters to another, giving each just enough space before moving along in parallel. Inevitably, the strands converge, but throughout, every character feels like a protagonist, perhaps with one exception, who may get less page time yet proves undeniably crucial.
The story borrows freely from many sources: fairy tales, other comics, manga, films, and especially buddy movies. What amazes me is how seamlessly Lemire integrates these influences without them feeling forced or obvious. I could identify a reference or two, but for the most part the material felt at once familiar and entirely original. In short, it’s an astonishing experience. I also appreciated that at least one character got the chance to stand alone in their own arc, however brief. I had been hoping for a slower, more intimate storyline to balance the relentless pace of Descender, which constantly propels itself forward, always to meaningful effect, pushing the narrative ahead.
At its core, the book is about the relationship between human and machine, framed through the lens of a sprawling space adventure. Strip away the sci-fi trappings, and you’ll find it wrestling with profound existential questions: identity, soul, and whether artificial intelligence can truly possess either. The series also touches on sociopolitical issues, such as racism born of cultural clashes, as well as the inevitable technophobia that arises between humans and robots. Yet if I had to choose one defining label, I’d call Descender a coming-of-age story, both for individual characters and for the group as a whole. Lemire often introduces ideas that transcend his characters, but he always keeps them grounded in personal, intimate struggles, in the dilemmas and anxieties that feel deeply human. That’s something I admire greatly.
As for the ending, it left me stunned. I never expected him to close the story in such a way. As the pages of the compendium dwindled, I kept asking myself where he could possibly be heading. Then, almost out of nowhere, I found myself staring at the final issue in disbelief. So don’t even think about skimming it, start at the beginning, and read until there are no more pages left to turn.
Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I believe Descender is Lemire’s most ambitious high-concept work to date. Maybe Black Hammer is on the same level, though I haven’t read it yet.
I’ll leave you with this question:
What exists before science, and what
remains after it disappears?
Until next time — be well, and keep reading.
It’s important!
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