The mysteries in The Spire are really starting to stack up. Last issue, as you may recall, Marchioness Juletta and her entourage were attacked by the mysterious eyeball-snatching murderer plaguing the tiered city. Now, the pressure is on Captain Shå more than ever to find out who’s behind these killings.
Here, in The Spire #3 we also delve a bit into Shå’s own mysterious past. More than thirty years earlier, she woke up in the city with no memory. She had written herself a note explaining that she was Medusi, that they’ll kill her if they find her, and telling her to pick a name. Naturally, with the Medusi now in the city and actively searching for Shå, whom they refer to as the “soulbreaker,” things aren’t exactly looking good for the Captain.
Then there’s the Marchioness. Last issue, we learned that she spent time with the dreaded Zoarim as part of a hostage exchange designed to facilitate relations between them and the Spire. However, things went horribly wrong – though how, exactly, still has not been explained. The Marchioness clearly knows more than she’s telling, and it doesn’t take a big leap to figure out that whatever happened all those years ago might easily be related to the murders occurring now.
Oh, and of course, the fanatical Zoarim have a terrifying new weapon that, we can assume, will soon threaten the Spire.
This series continues to be a stand-out. Beyond just the mysteries, we also get great characters. For instance, there’s Meera, the younger daughter of Marchioness Juletta, who wants to tell her mother about her relationship with Shå. Then there’s Tiva, the elder daughter of the Marchioness, who’s about to become the new Baroness, and who does not share the progressive ideals of her father when it comes to the nonhuman “sculpted” like Shå. And, of course, there’s Pug, the hilarious, ugly, foul-mouthed messenger who excitedly volunteers with the police and is barely tolerated.
There’s also the world-building at large. From the various “sculpted,” beings who were – presumably – genetically engineered into existence long ago, to the religious-zealot Zoarim who hate them, to the Spire itself, this book continues to do a fantastic job of creating a world unlike any you’ve seen before. If you love sci-fi, weird creatures, and mysteries, this is the book for you.
The Spire #3 is out now from BOOM! Studios
