"The Approach #1" Comic Review

This new miniseries from Jeremy Haun (The Red Mother) and Jason A. Hurley (The Beauty) pits the crew and passengers of a snowed-in small-town airport against of the denizens of the beyond. Snowed in during a catastrophic blizzard, airport employees Mac and Abigail find themselves trapped with more than just the general public when they witness a horrific plane crash.

Descending upon the wreckage, they pull what appears to be the only survivor from the wreckage. But, as the storm sets in and the lights go out, it becomes clear that there's more to this plane crash than meets the eye. It's Die Hard 2 (airport) meets The Thing (snow), with a bit of 30 Days of Night for good measure (more snow). What is the secret of the crashed plane? And what did it bring with it from the unknowable skies?

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While The Approach's answers remain hidden behind First Issue world-building, this is an atmospheric introduction to the story. Artists Jesús Hervás and Lea Caballero make good work of the negative space that all the snow and empty skies bring, while colourer Brett Weldele imbues the book with an appropriately chilly feel. Lovecraftian scares remain hidden for now, but there is a good glimpse of the book's threat before the first issue is done with. Hervás and Caballero's character work is solid, from the enormous Mac (think Steve Rogers with a thinning hairline) to the more realistic, expressive Abi. The sketchy, scratchy art style borders on minimalism, but there's enough detail to make their world feel real and lived-in.

Opening with distinct characters and a compelling hook - there are enough airport staff and citizens that carnage should ensue once the nature of Haun and Hurley's threat becomes evident - this is a breezy first issue, which leaves readers with plenty of questions and a need for more. Can The Approach stick the landing (sigh)? On the basis of this smooth and confident take-off (sigh) one would think so, although poor Mac and Abigail are certainly in for a turbulent (sigh) time of it.

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