Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten's Wasteland is a new ongoing title from Oni, which is somewhat unusual in itself.  It's a creator-owned book belonging to Johnston, and outside the confines of Vertigo, the monthly ongoing format seems to be out of fashion for such titles. 

It's a century after the "Big Wet", whatever that is - evidently some sort of ecological catastrophe, although the actual causes aren't spelt out.  Michael, the lead character, is a scavenger-cum-trader wandering the American desert with goals that are only really hinted at.  The first issue brings him to the shanty town of Providence, where he ends up having to join the locals in defending their town from... well, they're sort of zombie things, I suppose.

As you've probably guessed, Wasteland falls squarely in the subgenre best described as "post-Apocalyptic western", where society as we know it has collapsed, and America is back where it started.  To be honest, it's not one of my personal favourite genres.  But Johnston does a good job with it, delivering an accessible story while hinting at things that sketch out the wider world.  It seems everyone's gone back to nature worship, for example, which is intriguing in itself.

It's a well-paced debut issue, taking full advantage of the 48 page format.  Mitten's black and white art is certainly stylish and distinctive, and while the stark, minimal appearance may not be to all tastes, it undoubtedly fits the tone of the series.

That said, there are too many characters wandering around in functionally identical trenchcoats and cloaks, and the storytelling often gets confused during the action sequences.  The burning of Providence at the end of the issue doesn't really work either, since we never get a clear shot of the place on fire, and we're left with characters explaining it in dialogue.  It's a book which is big on atmosphere, but not so much on clarity.

Overall, though, a promising start to the series.  It's not a genre that normally does much for me, but I'm nonetheless intrigued by Johnston's hints of his wider world.

Rating: B+

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