Written by Scott Snyder
Art by Francesco Francavilla
Published by DSTLRY
Writer Scott Snyder and artist Francesco Francavilla make for one hell of a team.
They have been working for years together, ever since Snyder’s early run on Detective Comics. The trust between the two creatively is really something to behold. They’ve worked together a few times over the years since, most recently on the horror comic Night of the Ghoul. There’s something about the pair working together that is great. Both of their work compliments the other.
The good news is that their latest collaboration called White Boat out from DSTLRY is a perfect next step in their creative partnership.
From the start of the book, we are introduced to twin brothers called Lee and Ward. We learn about the two of them quite quickly. We get to see that Ward was killed in a boat crash. Lee and their father both survive this awful crash. We can see and feel from this opening the tragedy Lee experiences and the trauma that he has to carry with him. We also get to see that there might be more going on here than meets the eye. Something much darker than we even expect.
The years pass at this point. Lee is all grown up. He is a writer. And he is struggling. He is having a hard time in life and he is also having trouble dealing with the anniversary of his brother’s death. It is something that he can quite get over.
That is when he gets a strange invitation about something called the White Boat. What exactly is this boat? What evil lurks inside of it?
Don’t worry. Snyder and Francavilla are masters at this kind of storytelling. The set up is very exciting because you just know you’re in for a dark and terrifying treat.
We learn quite quickly that White Boats are these big yachts that the truly wealthy use to go around the world in. So, what the heck does one of these people want with Lee? The White Boat that Lee is aboard has everything that his heart could possibly desire. But that is all an illusion too. Why is that?
Because the White Boat is taking Lee and everyone aboard the yacht to a specific destination. And that destination isn’t some place of hope. It is instead a place of horror and maybe just a little bit more madness than anyone would really expect.
When the book gets to the island, we see very quickly exactly what this place is. It is a place of evil and craziness. It is a place where cults have existed for many years. And it is a place where something called “The Human Project” is happening. And trust me when I say, that project is a pretty wild and nutty one. The dread and the absolute terror does not let up once we get to the island and it really does go to some of the darkest corner that we have seen in comics for quite some time.
Near the end of the book, Lee has to make one harrowing kind of decision. He has a choice to be one of the cultists on the island or make a run for his freedom. Watching him weigh the difference was pretty entertaining. The problem with all of this is that he has now met people who he feels a kinship with. He has met people that remind him of his brother who has passed. Can he leave these people behind, especially now that they mean something to him? Or can he just run and deal with the emotional consequences? Or maybe can he take them with him? But will doing so doom the entire planet? A lot of craziness ensues from there. It also has an emotional resonance to it all that really makes a difference to the story being told.
Scott Snyder specializes in these types of stories and he does a great job here bringing together all of the various story threads. He never forgets the characterizations but also never forgets to bring the excitement. Francesco Francavilla is at the top of his game here as well. The artwork is top notch especially the colors. Overall, this is a great read and one that really brings a lot to the plate in terms of horror and good, well told stories.
RATING: A
FOC for White Boat #3 is Monday, May 18, 2026
To Pre-Order, contact your favorite comics retailer!
