Moth City: The Reservoir Review

Sometimes it is necessary to show us how a character came to be, to rewind the clocks and let us see what makes a man tick. With the final season of Moth City quickly approaching, Tim Gibson decided to do just that. Moth City: The Reservoir functions as a one-shot story showing how life treated Governor McCaw early on, and what we get is a short and bitter look at how the world is unfair. Hit the jump for more!

ART & STORY: TIM GIBSON

It’s necessary to point out that while this shares the Moth City name in title, the only thing connecting this one-shot to the rest of the series is McCaw. It doesn’t forward the story of the bio-weapon infected island and is not completely necessary. With that said, everything contained in the Reservoir is splendid, and it shows that Gibson isn’t afraid to experiment.

Anyone who has been reading Moth City knows that McCaw succeeds at being horrible in just about every way. He is a manipulative, power-hungry drunkard who only cares about two things: things he has made, and things he has built. But Reservoir offers a glimpse at a much different side of McCaw. This McCaw is a hard-working man who moves out West with his wife and family doctor in order to create a better life. Optimism and a smile can be found on his face, yet by the end, tragic and uncontrollable circumstances transform him into the Governor we know.

The story unfolds more like a silent film than a comic. Gibson’s metaphorical narration is present, but no dialogue is spoken between characters, and the dynamic digital format of previous Moth City installments is gone. Instead we get a comic that focuses more on what is contained within the full frame. Mixed with black and white, gritty art, landscape heavy shots, and people full of emotion, Reservoir carries a refreshing feeling with it. Sometimes it’s nice to have a comic that sheds obtrusive dialogue bubbles and still manages to tell a meaningful story.

VERDICT - BUY IT

Moth City: The Reservoir feels and looks like a classic western. It is a character driven one-shot that sheds some light on Moth City’s main pro/antagonist (seriously, you love to hate McCaw). While it isn’t necessary to the continuing story of Moth City, the quality of storytelling shown here is unmatched. It shows Gibson’s insistence on operating outside of normal comic boundaries and on experimentation. If you’ve enjoyed the story of Moth City up until now or are itching for a comic with a western vibe, you need to read The Reservoir. Look for it on Comixology: http://cmxl.gy/1fnIqxQ .

Related Posts