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Something strange is going on underwater off the shore of Prudhoe, Alaska. Dr. Lee Archer, a cetologist (she studies the songs of whales and dolphins, among other things) is called in by the Department of Homeland Security to join a team investigating. But given Dr. Lee’s political activism and her firing from NOAA, she’s not too eager to take part --- until they make her an offer she can’t refuse: They’ll help her get back custody of her son.

Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy’s smart, thrilling, and eerily provocative THE WAKE is a welcome surprise. Dr. Lee is asked to help investigate because she’s previously experienced the mysterious sound that has been recorded in Alaska. She joins a team of mostly unfriendly scientists --- including the former boss who fired her from NOAA --- all of whom have been assembled under different pretenses. What they find is a species of underwater creature no one has ever seen before. And so the mystery begins.

In flashbacks and flashforwards, Snyder and Murphy create a deep-sea thriller that mesmerizes. The art is stunning and theatrical, truly a visual treat. The story is compelling and fun. It’s cinematic in tone and feel. Comparisons to LOST are apt.

This collection of the first five issues of the comic shows the series as it’s just getting started and gives readers a perfect jumping-on point.

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