The scariest place in the known universe isn’t in the bleak depths of space but rather in the murky fathoms below. The ocean has struck fear into the heart of humanity since they were able to make boats. The fear of space comes from the unknown, but I find the fear of the ocean comes from somewhere familiar. Crush Depth preys on those fears in a tactful way. The ocean reflects a rippled version of ourselves back at us, but with a darkness hidden beneath that, despite all of our collective intelligence, we’ve only skimmed the surface of understanding it. Darkness waits below.
Crush Depth is the story of two brothers locked in a sibling rivalry wrestle for command of a massive nuclear submarine, The Absolution, in a near-future irrevocably altered by climate change. Chief Science Officer Liana Pearson finds herself not only caught between the Wilder brothers, but drowning in her fear of the surface world.
Towards the start of the story, there is a line that fishhooked itself into my grey matter and hasn’t released me since. “I’d rather die dancing…” is a line spoken by a character named Hannah, who is the hippie of the science-based expedition. Her beliefs make her stand out in this scene, but it’s not a major theme explored throughout the series. However, this statement has significantly shaped my interpretation of the horrors that unfold. But more importantly, so have Hannah’s beliefs.
When they talk about how Hannah had essentially done some crystal and oil “hoodoo” as it is referred to by Kate, another scientist who ends up being the vessel of destruction, it is dismissed as useless. But she quickly fires back, pointing out that their science is what got everyone into this mess in the first place. You see, the entire story revolves around an undersea vessel, which is essentially searching for a way to repair the surface.
More science and fancy gadgets to fix a world destroyed by those same exact things. The crew has been trapped below the ocean for years, with no resolution in sight. Their goal is to return to the same place and do the same thing, hoping for different results. The dancing line is a retort to a comment about her dancing under the moonlight, trying to make a change. But Hannah is willing to try something outside the realm of scientific understanding that she believes in, so she will die happy knowing she tried something.
As the infection of the monster found in the sea spreads, memories of a beach of black sand under the feet of the passengers spread through their minds. The allusions to the surface or being on solid ground become more frequent as the horrors ramp up. It’s clear that their mission is not going to succeed as is. Especially when only Liana, the main character, survives the infection. All the crew wants is for their feet to touch the ground… as if they just want to dance in the face of death.
But the finale is where it all turns into a perfect tango. The idea that the way things are cannot be what brings humanity forward, and that you must kick off the shoes that have burdened you so you can feel something new. Liana Pearson slays the beast in a triumphant finale! But she doesn’t… she faces the ultimate fear of all living things. Evolution. Forced changes in order to survive. She must combine with the monster in order to see a surface again, which is shown in the final page of the series. Bare feet on sand. There is no dancing because there is no death. But there is evolution! There is the letting go of the facts that we know to accept the horrors that sometimes must be to push forward to be something else, for better or worse.
Crush Depth is a fascinating exploration of the horrors of the sea, humanity, and how the weight of it all can create diamonds through evolution. When I come face-to-face with death, I’d rather go out dancing, too. It’s a reminder for us all.
Evolve or die.
Crush Depth was written by Tim Daniel and David Andry, art by Alex Sanchez, Colors by Kurt Michael Russel and Jason Finestone, and letters by Justin Birch. The series is available now from Mad Cave Studios Comics.