‘Deepwater Prison’ Brings a French Tale of Aquatic Crime to the US [Preview]

Deepwater Prison Vol.1: Constellation is a French comic newly translated into English, thank to Delcourt and Soleil. Written by popular French author Christopher Bec, with art by Stefano Raffaele, it tells the near-future tale of an underwater prison and an ecological disaster. The book comes to English-language readers as a digital release on Comixology on March 16th, and is available for preorder now. Check out an exclusive preview!

It's always interesting to see dystopian future Americas as portrayed by European creators (Judge Dredd being the most notable example). An underwater prison certainly doesn't seem out of the question as something America would come up with, especially if there was a corporation getting rich off of it. But it's interesting that Deepwater Prison posits severe prison overcrowding and exploding oil rigs as future possibilities, when that's the world we live in right now.

Raffaele's art is striking, and the underwater devastation on the cover is especially gorgeous. I do wonder what the youthful, model-pretty blonde who's referred to as "Madame President" is actually president of, but I don't want to jump to conclusions about an artist's style on the basis of one character!

Check out the first five pages below! (Note that adult language has been censored for this preview, but is uncensored in the Comixology edition.) Click the images to enlarge.

From the press release:

DEEPWATER PRISON Vol. 1: Constellation is the kind of crime series that makes you want to hold your breath. Following the increase in delinquency and crimes in the United States, the prisons are overcrowded. To cope with the problem, the American Government tests a new type of prison for the most dangerous criminals: the Deepwater Prison, settled in a maritime abyss just off the Bermudas.
But 900 meters higher, on the surface, an oil rig explodes and sinks, creating an unprecedented ecological catastrophe. A repair team is urgently sent into the deep waters. The only place to stay at this depth is the Deepwater Prison, where mutineers are planning their escape.