Story follows a group of scientists after device they made - so called Pillar - accidentally starts and pushes them to parallel universe. While this would mean confirmation of the theory behind the device everything does not go as planned - there are some passengers that are not meant to be traveling via device and device seems to be popping them around the parallel universes without control and even constantly into the middle of distant civilizations. And we all know how living organisms react to unexpected things.

Two things are of interest here. First, characters are far from likeable. Maybe kids (daughter and son of the chief scientist Grant, self-professed scientist anarchist (hence the name black (dark) science) are somewhat likeable (daughter was annoying rebel teen all the time but OK) but all others either harbor the secrets from the past or have hidden agenda. Second, people die here and as story progresses you cannot be sure who will be continuing from one issue to another.

Art is excellent, I especially like highly detailed panoramas of the mysterious parallel universes.

Recommended to all fans of SF action/adventure story. ( )

I want to keep reading this. It is so freaking good. They need to release more yesterday so I can read all of it now. ( )

Graphic Novel Book Club January 2016

This was one of the books I was given in the GN Christmas BookSwap and everyone was so interested in it at that meeting (as none of us had heard of it, but the back writing sounded so compelling) that we assigned it as part of the next meetings books.

I have to admit I wasn't expecting to get out from this series what it gave me. I love the number of layers in it and that the hero is definitely, insanely, massively an anti-hero who is not looking to turn it around and become a hero by any scope of the imagination. I love that you are aware from issue 1-2 that no one you love and learn about is safe from dying suddenly, which makes each word and scene with them more precious, more important, more focusable on.

I was not by even infinitesimal stretch of the imagination expecting what happened at the end of this volume and I can't wait to see what that means for volume 2. ( )

the book is fantastic, i must say. rick remender's storytelling is so fluent and matteo scalera's art is amazing. i can't even describe this magnificence.
although its magnificence, there are a few points i want to draw attention. first of all, i couldn't pull the series during 6 years of its publication. the story is fluent but multilayered and complicated. during these years i couldn't follow up the series issue by issue.
secondly i read the first two TPBs. a few months later i came back to continue the series from where i left. then i realized nothing left in my mind about the characters. so again the story is multilayered and complicated. it requires a calm, serene 9 volumes reading, without an interruption as possible. ( )

I can see the talent behind this graphic novel, but I didn't really enjoy reading it. So much futility; so little hope. And I just really came to hate Grant and his self-loathing and boo-hooing. I need a character I can root for. Maybe if I decided to stick with the series, I would find that, but this volume was so dark and grim, I think I'll steer clear of any more. ( )