The Good
Justin Jordan wraps up the first story arc with a whole lot of action, exposition, and mystery. When you've spent three issues building up a story and not offering many concrete answers, it's understandable a character -- in this case, Harrow -- has to go into exposition mode so we can better understand what's going on. While it does take a bit of a toll on the pacing and you can tell he's trying to give us as many answers as he can and as quickly as possibly, it's still well written dialogue. To me, these characters still sound organic. They're still blunt, they still make me laugh, and they're most definitely still able to surprise me. The big plan may not be all that original, but that doesn't prevent it from being entertaining. The beats may be familiar, but the dialogue and reality of what they must do next is solid. This isn't one of those "Yay! We won!" kind of endings and the slightly grim and more realistic approach to the scenario is greatly appreciated.
Jordan may spend a fair amount of time ending the alien's story (or so it seems?), but he's also able to work in quite a few teasers. The extraterrestrial receives a swift albeit exciting end, but things are only just getting started with our two leads. He drops one hell of a game changer with the cliffhanger and we're given an attention-grabbing teaser before that one drops. It'll absolutely make you want to stick around.
Artist Ariela Kristantina and colorist Ben Wilsonham really shine whenever we get a scene with the alien or a shot set in space. The opening sequence is gorgeously colored and it's a completely immersive experience. The big reveal of the alien -- something we've been waiting for -- is pretty awesome and the two double-page spreads are definitely worthy of the extra focus. All in all, this art team continues to nail the sci-fi vibe.
The Bad
I like how the situation is resolved, but it all feels kind of abrupt. There's been so much buildup, and now it reaches what feels like a pretty sudden end. I feel like giving this arc an extra issue would have allowed Jordan to spread out the exposition a little more and add more to the conflict. Also, I enjoy the rough visuals, but a couple panels make it a tad difficult to follow exactly what's going on.
The Verdict
It's easy to see why DEEP STATE is probably going to become a TV series. It may be a familiar concept, but what matters is the execution and, so far, this is turning out to be a really good time. The alien itself may receive a pretty standard conclusion and it's not bringing anything profound to the table (at least not yet), but the mystery surrounding both characters and the world around them continues to have me hooked. If you've been following since the first issue or if you find yourself on the fence about whether you'll stick around for issue five, this ending is absolutely going to make you purchase the next one. Get on this, sci-fi junkies.