Ahoy Comics 2018
Created & Written by Stuart Moore
Created & Pencilled by June Brigman
Inked by Roy Richardson
Coloured by Veronica Gandini
Lettered by Richard Starkings & Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
When the Feeders* died out, the cats inherited the Earth! Or at least one starship. Now a feline commander struggles to herd a fiercely individualistic crew…
Alright my first thoughts were great a book with anthropomorphic cats. I am not the biggest fan of that kind of evolution in animals but I was more than happy to give this a shot since everything else I have been reading from Ahoy Comics has been so good. I am glad that I did give the chance that it deserved because what I found was unlike anything I would have expected. It feels like a feline version of Star Trek mixed with Farscape on steroids. The writing here is exceptional and the characterisation is like nothing I could’ve expected. I love that they are cats first and foremost and yes they can talk and work a starship sure but at their core they are cats.
So the Captain narrates this story alongside everything that we see. So Stuart manages to really mix in the whole silliness of the idea with a more serious nature in trying to stay alive. Stuart is no stranger to writing complex interesting stories that have an impact upon the reader. Though I haven’t read Zodiac and I'd dearly love to. The opening gives a look at the struggle they face as well as introducing us to a few key players in the story. While the feeders may have left all this behind and these feline crusaders have learned to work with it what this does above all else is make you want to see and learn more.
The way that this is structured is fantastic! There is a very good, easy ebb & flow to the issue that just purrs perfectly. Right off the bat we get to meet the big bad here so it’s easy to see and understand what’s at stake. I like the way that was done too and the fact that the cats had never seen the Lumen before well that’s just an added bonus. I like seeing the internal struggle all the events of this issue have on Captain Ginger it adds the emotional drama that balances out the silliness beautifully, and by silliness I mean our Engineer about to burst with a litter and that there are kittens everywhere you look. It reminds me of those damnable Tribbles.
June lays down some amazing pencils here. With Roy and Veronica finishing it off rather effectively. The creativity and imagination that we see here is truly something to behold. I love the look and feel of the cats as they aren’t trying to be human which makes it all the better. There is this anatomy here that I think is fantastic to see and the emotional spectrum in their faces well that’s another level entirely. Thanks to the colouring main for that and for the difference in types of cats from the Ginger to the Calico. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a great eye for storytelling. Also kudos on the way that backgrounds are utilised to really flesh the story out.
The wide variety of characters is a delight to see. While their names are somewhat primitive I do think that is done in a way that makes perfect sense. This was a lot more complex and interesting than I thought it would be. It has everything we need to make it your new obsession.