Like The Darkness, I had no knowledge of the world of Fathom before reading Fathom: Blue Descent #0. The incredibly short issue was quite confusing for a newbie to the series. But this review isn’t about #0, it’s about Fathom: Blue Descent #1. 

For those who are not clear on what Fathom: Blue Descent is about, allow me to explain. Fathom itself follows Aspen Matthews who was “born amongst the Blue, and underwater race, [but] was raised on the surface among humans.” This underwater race is not your normal version of mere-people. No fish-like appendages for them. Instead, they appear to be quite humanistic, sort of like their comic book counterpart Aquaman and his underwater kingdom of Atlantis. Fathom: Blue Descent is a prequel to the regular series, answering questions regarding Aspen’s origins. Fathom: Blue Descent #1 is told, not from Aspen’s point of view, but from that of her father’s: Abesaloma. 

Abesaloma tells of his history, growing up with his best friend Zo and crush Eilah. Then we see them as grown ups, where Eilah is now his wife and Zo is an enemy on the council, arguing over the Blue’s treatment towards humans. While Abesaloma is dealing with Zo, Eilah has been having nightmares about the Black: an ancient race that the Blue descend from. 

The comic is quite wordy. There is a lot to read, including numerous monologues by characters. That being said, it is well written, it’s just that there is a lot to deal with and absorb. For first time readers I’d say it is not nearly as confusing as Issue #0, but I would still advise getting your hand on it. The more you read in the Fathom universe, the more you come to understand. 

As for the artwork, obviously the color scheme is based around blue. But there are numerous shades of blue to avoid repetition. Though I have no problems with the colorization, the actual character design was weak. Abesaloma seems to change age depending on the panel. Sometimes he looks older, sometimes younger. I wouldn’t be able to guess his age based on Issue #1 because his depiction differs so much. Many of the female characters also look alike, causing even more confusion, especially with so many new people introduced in the book. The look of this comic isn’t the typical clean lines expected from DC or Marvel, but a bit sketchy. There are lines on the characters faces and bodies, creating more detail in their expressions than you get with the average look of comics these days. 

Overall, I’m not sure if I’m invested in the story enough to continue on with it. In my last review of The Darkness I wanted to see if he could defeat the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse, but I could care less about Aspen Matthew’s and her family in this comic. Readers of The Fathom series may have an invested interest in this story, but newcomers to the series should probably not start with Blue Descent when entering the world of Fathom.