Deep Roots Review: Human Attributed Agricultural Animosity

From writer Dan Watters and artist Val Rodrigues comes a story that is a vegetable medley of different genres, bouncing between mysticism and science fiction. Deep Roots #1 leaves you with all questions and no answers. With all that being said, I believe it’s an enjoyable book for a niche audience. It isn't a book I'd imagine too many avid comic book fans picking up, but if your tastes or more varied it might be right up your alley.

The main concept of the book may go over many heads. The plotting is done between every few pages, with ping-ponging points from one story to another. First, we are quickly introduced to this grandiose warrior deity of the planet. His intentions are vague. All we know is that he has slept for too long as Earth has begun to deteriorate by (what we assume is) pollution. Then a robbery conducted by humanoid plants occurs in a London bank. From there it begins to segue way to a partly comatose anarchist babbling about a book and an investigation agency. The last idea that is presented to us before we go full circle is of a man who has been wandering in search of an ending path.

In my opinion, this is why the book may not be enjoyable for some people. It can't just be read once over with a quick glance; the story is woven in a way for someone who likes to dissect literature. You read my odd synopsis of the scripting, and it sounds like a bizarre book with no intersecting or connecting ideas, but that's wrong. Deep Roots is quite literal what the book is about, as Watters masterfully makes these ideas of the plant apocalypse come together. The Otherworld, where the warrior rises from, is filled with pollution seeping in from the world of man. This is the “root" of all the evil that leads to the unfolding of all these events.

Along with pretty solid writing and storytelling, the art direction is compelling. The art is constantly changing between both worlds. The scenes in the human world are done in a very typical modern comic art style. Coloring, shading and the line work are all very clean. Most of the actions from panel to panel are also very fluid. It can simply be described as good and polished, but nothing that stands out.

On the other hand, the art in the Otherworld scenes are so different. It like a fusion of a painting and something you might see in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. We get some creepily done imagery as the anarchist flips through the book, while the pages of the man journeying the fields is reminiscent of some 19th century art pieces. Not all credit can be taken by the artist. Rodrigues art is the backbone, but Triona Farrell’s colors here are distinct. The coloring and shading doesn't fill the page in a similar fashion as most comics. Instead, very fine brush stroke-esque lines make all the difference to the presentation. It shows a lot of finesse and technique from both the artist and the colorist.

It is artistic decisions such at these that make all the difference in a book. Deep Roots aspires to be unique; with my only fear being is that the story and message might spiral out on a tangent. The book isn't lacking complexity or depth, so to add more would be an embellishment. The ending piques the reader’s curiosity as two new characters come into play. With that being said, I look forward to picking up the next issue.