Boom Studios 2015
Written & Lettered by Ed Brisson
Illustrated by Damian Couceiro
Coloured by Michael Garland
Science Fiction is all the rage right now and Ed manages to put his own stamp on it with this story that has all the feel of a intrigue thriller mixed with something like Starship Troopers military society of fighting forces. Sure these folks have signed up for this duty to reduce the sentences they’ve received for their crimes, which seem kind of shady if you ask me but we haven’t had that hard a look at the ruling government yet. We have gotten a good look at the prison though and it’s just as full as government system with people out for themselves trying to better their own lives and hoping to get off this planet.
Having crashed en route on a mission the team has had to make their way on foot back to the prison if they were to survive the bombs implanted in their chests. Picked up along the way by a group of rebels and relentlessly pursued we pick up while they are all still on the move. With the Pagurani surgeon Milton removing the devices from them is how we start this issue. First of all I love that he named him Milton because it’s just an odd name and seeing him remove the device from our favorite foul mouthed tattooed bad girl well the dialogue is incredibly good.
McHenry and Halleran however catch up to them before Samara can have her device removed and it’s here that we really see the kind of person McHenry is. Sure Halleran betrayed the group but he did it for reasons we can easily relate to but McHenry he’s a man who really deserves to be put down and his actions here demonstrate that. He’s a ruthless S.O.B. who no regard for anyone other than himself and the girl is his only concern and collateral damage has no meaning to him.
Yes Samara being the daughter of a prominent man is way more important than she thinks she is and this story centers around her. Her reactions to what happens this issue really defines who she has become after the drunk driving accident that killed her sister and being sent here she’s not the same girl. She’s growing up, taking responsibility and is doing her best to make no one else among her group is harmed because of her or her actions. She’s becoming something a strong leader and it’s interesting to see.
The last couple pages though leave the reader with dire sense sure their evac came and they managed to stop McHenry, well Samara did, but next issue’s uncertainty is that hook ensuring we’ll be back. Not that Ed needs that because this title is extraordinarily written and the cast of characters phenomenally portrayed so that we’ve become invested in them and will automatically be back.
Damian and Michael’s interior artwork is creative, fun and the imagination needed to create this world shines brightly. Plus the work on the tattoo’s is great and that they have remained consistent and that attention to detail here is great.
This continues to remain an intriguing and entertaining book and reaffirms that the science fiction genre is going nowhere and reminding us why we love it!