Heavy Metal Comics 2021
Written by Ryan K. Lindsay
Illustrated by Sebastian Piriz
Lettered by Jame
After arriving at what was supposed to be salvation, Niko explores plates of the Dyson Sphere to discover the only currency available is survival. Just because she's on the other side of the universe doesn't mean she's going to find acceptance or assistance in any greater volume than what she left behind on Earth. Among the arcane healers and war-mongering aliens of this intergalactic refugee station, Niko will need to figure out who she can trust, and if she can trust herself to make that decision.
I’m completely and utterly intrigued by this book right now. Niko is interesting and there is something about her that doesn’t quite sit right with me but I cannot place why I feel this way. Sometimes it’s just a gut reaction to a situation and who knows as the story moves forward maybe we’ll see things start to play out so I may be right, I may be wrong, and it may just be a lunatic I'm looking for. In the meantime as Niko goes around checking things out and we by proxy are being introduced to the various other species and other plates.
I am very much enjoying how we see this being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented exceptionally well. The character development that we see through the narration, the dialogue, the character interaction as well as how they act and react to the situations and circumstances which they encounter. The personalities that come to the forefront are marvellous and how we already see them changing and growing is exceptional work. The pacing is superb and as it takes us through the pages revealing the story pulls us in in some really surprising ways.
I appreciate the way that we see this being structured and how the layers within the story continue to emerge, grow, evolve and strengthen. I like how we see the layers being explored as Niko becomes more and more familiar with her new home and surroundings and how all of these things and more add such great depth, dimension and complexity to the story. How we see everything working together to create the story’s ebb & flow as well as how it moves the story forward is achieved exceedingly well.
I’m digging the interiors here. The creativity and imagination that we see is impressive as new species and characters are created for this book. The linework is fantastic and how the varying weights and techniques are being utilised to create the detail work throughout the book is rather extraordinary to see. Now I do wish we’d see more backgrounds being utilised for when we do they expand and enhance the moments beautifully. How we see the composition within the panels bringing us the depth perception, sense of scale and the overall sense of size and scope to the story is masterfully done. The utilisation of the page layouts, those borders on the bottom for example are delightful, and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a remarkably talented eye for storytelling. The various hues and tones within the colours being utilised to create the shading, highlights and shadow work show a phenomenal eye for how colour works. The way it’s laid down and the various techniques involved are smashing to see.
Science fiction is definitely one of those genres that encompasses so many different aspects and angles but this one feels truer to the straight up idea of it. It is like those novels I read as a kid that managed to ignite my passion for reading and it's really no wonder why I have such an affinity for this story. With some stellar writing and intriguing characterisation alongside these phenomenally brilliant interiors manage to really get under the readers skin so that you crave more.