"The Plot #8" Comic Review

In order to receive...first you must give. That's the eerie message that's flowed through The Plot so far. Now, as the series reaches its epic finale, it takes on some new context. With flashes of the possible future popping up left and right, Chase Blaine faces off against the monsters, both literal and metaphorical, that his family have kept buried down deep. A curse has plagued his family for generations. Is this where it ends?

Chase has been depicted as the screw-up of the Blaine family. He was the outcast that didn't go along with tradition, paving his own way in the world, even if that was scraping the bottom. Since his brother died and he fell into the role of guardian for his niece and nephew, that's changed. This isn't like some feel-good cheesy comedy where Chase learns to love. It's much more than that.

Writers Tim Daniel and Michael Moreci show Chase's journey in this fascinating way. They push him to the breaking point, where he has no choice but to stand up for what's left of his family, even if it costs him his life. It's a pretty dramatic sequence that comes together beautifully.

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The Plot #8 is interspersed with scenes of the future, at first shown in a kind of ominous tone. Colorist Kurt Michael Russell uses darker shades at first, then lightening them to warmer colors as these scenes go on. It's like this future was hazy and uncertain before coming into focus. Dread is replaced with hope.

This contrasts well with the scenes in the present, which are harrowing to say the least. Rain is coming down hard, causing a flood in the area that's sent water into the Blaine family home. Chase trudges through this looking to stop this curse once and for all. Shadows loom large in this dingy basement, however strange colors pierce through the darkness. Greens and yellows pop, not as signs of hope, but of imminent danger.

Artist Joshua Hixson brings this to life in tremendous fashion. You can feel the grit on these pages as Chase descends into the basement. The monster that's been terrorizing his family for generations rears its ugly head like a mix of Swamp Thing and the Toxic Avenger. It's made of pure muscle and hate, but it's not invincible as we quickly find out.

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This confrontation comes to a head in an explosive manner. The past literally comes back to haunt this creature and it's a pitch perfect way to wrap up this series. It all comes together in this one awesome panel, amplified by the single line delivered by the creature. Letterer Jim Campbell doesn't even need to complete it for you to understand the ramifications for what happened here.

Hixson's artwork really shines through in the closing pages, giving more meaning to that phrase that's been a constant throughout The Plot: In order to receive, first you must give. We see the deep, emotional toll this has had on Chase, however we've also seen how he's able to overcome it. This is as frightening as it is powerful. The Plot most definitely sticks the landing in its final chapter.