Definitely one of the most bizarre series in recent times has to be Manifest Destiny.  The usual frontier myths of Lewis and Clark are replaced with horror based stories focused on the things that they never reported back about.  So far in this series, the story has focused on the individual challenges of the team, be that the zombifying fungus or the collection of unusual monsters.  While the series has been big on suspense as the crew tries to figure out solutions to the dangerous dilemmas, it has also been relatively short on answers.  In this issue the team finally stop for a break, this time at an Indian village, and have a relatively uninterrupted chance to mend their wounds.  Of course, even at that things are not what they seem, but at least the crew is ready for more adventures at the end of this issue.

What this break does is that it allows the series to finally give a bit of a background to its stories.  Lewis specifically is shown as he is recruited by President Jefferson.  Once again traditional history is thrown on its side as the president reveals something from the Louisiana purchase which no one else had ever known about, the skull of a cyclops. While this provides some of the background for Lewis and Clark, there is also some added background for Sacagawea, though added only through some revelation of her personal reasons for aiding the group.  While it is not historical, it fits into the story line in the series, as it provides some reasoning to her actions thus far.

With a bit more background, this series is headed off once again into the wildernesses, against its unexpected foes, and while this issue does not contain the action and thrills that have been a hallmark of this series so far, it does give it a better center as finally the motivations behind the major characters are better understood.  Equally the challenges ahead in the coming issues are still evident, even as the elder in the small village explains something about some of the mysteries.  This compact issue does what has been needed for this series, and gives the reader more to ponder about as the crew head further into the continent.

Story: Chris Dingess Art: Matthew Roberts and Owen Gieni
Story: 8.3 Art: 8.2 Overall: 8.2 Recommendation: Read

Image provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review.