To say I stumbled onto the Black Science series would be too kind. I bought the initial volume because a staff member at my local Waterstones noticed that I had been idly flicking through graphic novels for almost ten minutes and enquired if I needed some help. I happened to be holding Black Science at the time, had just noticed the price sticker wasn't present and, more out of societal awkwardness than anything else, asked if they could find out the price. I had no intention of actually buying the book, but when they returned and said it was actually on offer and currently less than £4 I thought "hey, why not"? The fact that, two volumes later, I'm considering putting myself down for pre-order of the entire series until the run (which is very much still ongoing) is complete speaks to how much I am thankful for that odd moment of consumer obligation. Black Science has become the only series I've picked up to date that is constantly just whirring away somewhere in my subconscious, cropping up from time to time as random hypotheses as to how the story will play out. The worlds it has created, the central narrative and the characters themselves have all completely captured my attention and imagination. In other words, I'm quite a big fan.
All that said, Vanishing Point is yet another solid step forward for the series. It helps explain a little bit more of the mystery of what's actually going on, rounds off a couple of key plot threads (particularly the "rough'n'ready", time hardened versions of Grant and Sara) and sets up the next chapter wonderfully. I mean seriously, can our Grant ever catch a break? And what the actual fuck just happened! Crucially, though it jammed a wrench in the narrative machinery and allowed the characters to just stop for a few pages and actually analyse everything that's happened. Quite often, I'd probably be annoyed, feeling the pace had been thrown out to shoe-horn in exposition and help the writers out of a tricky spot, but that couldn't be further from the truth here. If anything, a little space to breath was exactly what Black Science required after two completely frenetic volumes. It was brilliant to see the interrelationships of the crew actually develop and come to some much-needed crunch points. I've always loved the main characters and how they feel as a group, but they definitely needed a little development time and that's exactly what Vanishing Pattern has allowed.
Scott and Grant needed that heart to heart; the Shaman needed to take a stand; the readers needed the revelations surrounding Rebecca and why she's really there. It aired out the original motto of "Every world better than we found it" and gave it actual, substantive meaning (although, again, that ending...) which in turn pivoted the story from one about survival to one about morality. In short, the entire plot has evolved into something more nuanced, the characters have developed in some very intriguing new ways and the stakes have never seemed higher. So yeah, definitely still a very big fan of this series. I cannot wait for volume 4.