Low: The Delirium of Hope | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Review
- Michaela Raschilla
- May 1, 2020
- 2 min read
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Low: The Delirium of Hope
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Greg Tocchini
Published March 2015 by Image Comics
Just looking at that cover you probably know what drew me to this comic in the first place. I'm such an art snob when it comes to comics, if the art isn't appealing to me it often means I can't keep reading it even if the plot and writing is fine. There needs to be a balance of both and I have heard people complain about the writing here, that it doesn't match the art, or that the art is so flashy in order to cover up the fact that the story isn't very good, and I would like to tell you why that isn't so.
Now, I know that some people have an issue with how the trajectory of this story takes place. It is a bit confusing at times, as it skips around in perspective and time and place. This can make it frustrating to read as it isn't linear. However, I would recommend if you are confused to try reading it a little slower. The comic is extremely well constructed. You are seeing all of the different points in time and perspectives of one family as they struggle to find a way to save the human race.
This is a dystopian comic that takes place in giant under water cities generations after they were originally built. The structures are breaking down and running out of resources so most of the people have resorted to living each day like it were their last. They have lost hope. However, the main characters in this story have not. They are going to go on an expedition to the surface to find a probe that has returned to earth saying it has found a planet suitable for living, despite the fact that the air and the water near the surface are toxic.
On top of this, I think the thing that makes a good comic great is the ability for there to be subplots and sub-characters having stories in the background of panels where the main plot takes place.
These can either feed into the main plot later, or simply be little details that really add to the world building. I think this is one of the greatest strengths of Low. There are so many interweaving stories, it is able to show so many different ways of coping with the loss of hope, or the sudden realization that there may be hope after all.
If you are a fan of dystopian literature and are looking to get into comics or graphic novels, I would definitely think about picking this one up! Like I said, it was my favorite comic of last year.
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