Dial H #14

"Threadbare Ontology"
written by China Miéville
pencils by Alberto Ponticelli
inks by Dan Green

After last month's stellar, cerebral meditation "Tekel u-Pharsin," "Threadbare Ontology" thrusts Dial H back into the center of its conflict and chronologically well ahead of its previous issues.  Nelson, Roxie and the other Dialers avenge the death of Ejad at the hands of a barkfly, which, although none of the action is directly narrated, seems to be the latest in a series of conflicts for the Dial Bunch in their search for the Fixer and his henchman, former Canadian agent Centipede.  They've been visiting worlds, and everywhere they go there are rumors of war and warnings of "vampires," Dialers who siphon the power from the worlds' heroes.  Though they've fixed their own dial, they've been running into opposition wherever they travel.

"Threadbare Ontology" suffers a little from being so obviously a set-up issue, the last little breath before next month's extra-sized finale showdown, but its sensitivity to loss and sacrifice, its quiet but powerful acknowledgement of war collateral and damage, make it a strong installment in Miéville's truly exceptional run.  Yet, as before, Dial H never loses its sense of humor and storytelling whimsy.  As always, the heroes are wonderfully imaginative, but "Threadbare Ontology" soars when Nelson realizes they're under attack by zombies, an apocalypse dialed up by the mysterious "O," ubiquitous to Dial history but so far absent from immediate events.  Like being transported into a video game in which one is uniquely educated in playing, Nelson immediately takes the helm in battling the dialed undead, while Roxie wisely works out just how an army of walking dead humans has invaded a world of tools.

The answer is somewhat thrilling.  This is revenge, revenge for a war fought years ago between "O" and other worlds, the Dial War, whose politics are obscure and whose purpose is unknown.  And just where figures like the Fixer fit into this complicated history is delightfully grey in a way on Miéville can give nuance.  Their final arrival at the Exchange and their welcome by an unexpected acquaintance sets the table for the final installment.

Superheroes:  Vellum, Silica Jill, The Kenner, VerMouth, King Coil, ElepHaunt, Good Bus, The Flummox, Captain Cave, Rock-Paper-Scissors, Lunar Light, Pipe Cleaner, [unnamed jellyfish hero], Open-Window Man, SuperOmi

Sidekicks:  Moon Monkey

[September 2013]