Just when it seemed like we had everything figured out. The first two arcs of Basilisk were intense, but Cullen Bunn and Jonas Scharf flipped the title on its head with Basilisk #9. There is so much more at play than readers were initially led to believe. And this series-opening issue is merely an introduction to this new layer to this world.
BOOM! Studios
Written by: Cullen Bunn
Art by: Jonas Scharf
Colors by: Alex Guimaraes
Letters by: Ed Dukeshire
The major development to the lore featured in Basilisk isn’t all readers get in this issue, either. The start of the third arc develops the background of one of the story’s key players. And speaking of developments, another major issue comes to the forefront, leading to further splintering among Basilisk’s main characters.
Basilisk #9 is a great return for the title after its significant pause. Bunn and Scharf didn’t recap everything, but they did enough to jog readers’ memories while also taking steps to move the story forward. When it comes to the art specifically, Scharf and Alex Guimaraes remain very consistent with their work. Their approach to flashbacks make it easy to separate the present from the past, while providing a dream-like experience — their work in this area is particularly important in Basilisk #9. A lot goes on in the flashbacks featured in this issue.
Without getting into the specifics of the ending, it’s unclear who’s going to be viewed as the antagonist moving forward. It seemed so obvious in the first two arcs, but just a few changes has created enough room for doubt at the start of Basilisk’s third arc.
Looking for more comic book content? Go check out the latest episode of Geeks WorldWide Radio‘s TLDR podcast, where Joseph Gilmore and Nick Friar discuss comics weekly and talk to creators from the comic book industry.
Listen and subscribe to the show on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Audible — wherever you listen to podcasts!