Shock To The System — Reviewing ‘Static: Shadows Of Dakota’ #7

The shadows around Dakota have parted, revealing the true enemies, leaving the city’s young electrifying hero caught in the middle. As the season/series ends, Static must find out if the enemy of your enemy truly is your friend.

Static: Shadows Of Dakota #7 is a jam-packed season finale from Nikolas Draper-Ivey, Vita Ayala, and Andworld Design.

Comic books have dipped into real-world social aspects forever. Just like pretty much anything that falls within the creative sphere that is art. Some do it far better than others, tackling things in their unique ways. What this creative team has done, through both seasons of this series, is truly something special.

Here in the seventh issue, we get a whole backstory for the formerly secondary but now primary antagonist. In many stories this would be a mark against the book, having taken too long to do it.  It works perfectly here, though, since Ebon was the true main antagonist until the (truly wonderful) previous issue. Also, the far too real origin for Doctor Lennox hit so damn hard. A woman who cares nothing for human beings period, all about science at the expense of others’ freedom or comfort or anything else.

One of the things that people are asking for when it comes to representation and diversity is not just to see heroes and characters who look like, act like, and feel like them. What we want is for people like us to be able to fill any role a story calls for. This includes the heartless cold detached villains, which Draper-Ivey and Ayala deliver here masterfully.

This is a series I’m going to promptly re-read. Month by month, it hits and hits hard. As a full read, I imagine it hits even harder. It’s loaded with character moments, powerful emotional beats, striking commentary, and more. Nothing is simple. Ebon and Static end with the villain promising they’ll be at odds again, and there is still so much to explore.

So much of that is helped by Draper-Ivey being on both sides of the creation. Helping craft the story from a writer’s standpoint, as well as the artist’s. Letting the emotion and personality radiate out of every single panel, easy to read on everyone’s faces and body language. Creating depth and focus, a color palette of more toned-down colors helps set the overall tone while giving life to spaces.

Draper-Ivey has such a beautiful style. It’s light and heavy at the same time, allowing for a realness but also just the right amount of comic book exaggeration. Colors swirl around the page in a very water-color sort of way. Darkness creeps all around, both from Ebon and the overall darker moments of the story.

Those at Andworld Design do truly magnificent work when it comes to lettering. Doing all the right things to allow the dialogue and captions to flow, powered with so much emotion and personality. The character’s voices are clear and powerful, resonating in the mind as one reads through. Not only do we feel everything thanks to the artwork, but the lettering allows us to hear it. Pairing up the Andworld crew’s work with Draper-Ivey truly is a match made in comic book heaven.

There is no word as of right now about what is next, or Static or the entire Milestone relaunch, but I truly hope this crew gets a third season. We need more of this series.

Static: Shadows Of Dakota #7 is now available from DC Comics.