Debris is shaky ground to tread
I love everything about this mini-series. Most of the time. The world Wiebe creates in such a small space is rich, detailed and intriguing. He mixes so many different elements that it becomes impossible to name them all: post-apocalyptic action, mythological creatures, female empowerment, steampunk machinery and much more. Sure, there characters aren't always as three-dimensional as you would want, but it is just four issues and the main character certainly gets enough play. Even though the ending is not too surprising, it ties the whole story up neatly and even features a wonderfully cheezy epilogue.
Thene there is the art. Rossmo has a wonderful style, the covers were featured regularly. The thick, distinctive lines and the wonderful coloring bring out the best in his art and really make the book stand out. The best pages are absolutely stunning, but unfortunately, the best pages of the series are not in this issue. Rossmo is only credited with the breakdowns in issue four and Owen Gieni (formerly the "just" the colorist) apparently had to jump in to finish the book. So, this was obviously terribly rushed. Everything feels half finished, even more than in previous issues. Of course, this may be a choice, but it never gets across as such. A rough sketch in a single panel may do something, show energy and movement, but if the whole book looks like they forgot to clean it up, especially compared to the earlier issues, that is distracting from the story. The layouts are great, the colors still pop, it is just the pencils that do not hold up.
How can you possibly give a book with such spotty art such a high score? Because the story is fantastic, the art still creates a feeling of whimsical devastation and a courageous attempt like Debris deserves credit. I would love to see this cleaned up in a paperback, but that probably will not happen. However, I am glad that I stuck around. Admittedly, this type of SF is exactly my cup of tea right now (with Prophet and Planetoid scratching that same itch), but Debris is special, do yourself a favor and check it out.