Devolution #1 Review: A New Step in Post Apocalyptic Wastelands

Review by Nolan P. Smith

FOR MATURE READERS

We have seen plenty of settings for the “end of the world” wasteland scenarios: from nuclear holocausts to war riddled fallouts, the end is always a great setting for a new beginning. But with Devolution #1, we get a clever spin on how the world fell into disarray, and how humanity tries to bounce back.

Written by Rick Remender (Sea of Red, Uncanny Avengers) and art from Jon Wayshak (The Authority), Devolution shows what happens when humanity takes it one step too far. In hopes of devolving the part of the brain that allows for religion, for a belief in God, politicians created a viral agent to do just that. But this did more than devolve the mind: it devolved humans, animals, insects- every living thing, creating monstrous beings and making the world as we know it cease to exist.

Our protagonist is Raja, a lady who is tough as nails and has been trying to find a way to reverse this pathogen. She encounters some savage, devolved humans, operating on instincts rather than morals in what is left of Las Vegas. The savagery is immense, and the world is officially in the toilet. Remender crafts an original take on the end, and gives us a strong heroine to root for. The language is rough here, but so is this world, so it all works extremely well.

Wayshak’s art has the same gritty feel I remember from the original Spawn series- and that is an amazing feeling to capture. He captures the sick, violent world of Devolution perfectly, and man, is it violent. Devolution #1 is an excellent start for this series, and leaves us with an ending that has to have everyone wondering how exactly the last few pages fit into the rest of the story. I’ll be back for issue #2, as I can’t wait to see what happens to Raja next in her journey to fix the world.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

This review was created in conjunction with QBC Toys and More, a local comic book and collectible shop located in Victorville, CA. Featuring new comic books every week, collectibles, action figures, original artwork, and more, QBC has something for the pop culture lover in us all. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/QBCToysandMore/.