The several pages of opening scenes are an assortment of wordless images where Hester really shines. He excels when his artwork can show detail and dark shadows in the same image, and inker Eric Gapstur does a sublime job of keeping the pencil work dark and ominous. The series of images serve to set the tone of the book, which is uncertainty; Dr. Shipwright is a narrow, craven-looking man in a barren wasteland, but he doesn't know where he is any more than the reader does.

It's when Shipwright meets the inspector that things go from a feeling of trepidation to feeling dream-like, where the characters explore the backstory of Shipwright and his strange journey to his present state/location, but that exposition causes more questions for the reader. Hester shines again as he helps produce a disjointed couple scenes in the building, complete with suspicious characters and a gruesome kitchen segment.

And this issue is a seriously glorious taste of Ellis' storytelling - he explains deftly what happened, and explores the various skills that Shipwright retains, but betrays nothing about the overall narrative and what the hell's really going on. His dialogue is sharp but innocuous, where you read the explanations provided but they don't make sense...yet. There are some seeds planted here that could yield a heavy, heavy crop.

I also have to applaud the work of colorist Mark Engelert, whose palate of gritty earth tones clash with strange greens and blues, alternating the mood and keeping the reader on his or her toes with each scene. It's a real triumph to see how his colors affect the story, and mixed with Hester's continued motif of spiders and crows, the story is as tense as it is enigmatic.

This book is a hell of an introduction; the layers of plot, the stark representation of characters, and the overall vibe offer up an anxiousness to devour this story that I haven't felt since Planetary. Shipwreck is dark and forboding, and Ellis, Hester, and company have started weaving a tapestry that I for one can't wait to see unfurl.

9.5 out of 10 Mangled Hands