
Boom! Studios 2016
Created & Written by Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly
Created & Illustrated by Marcus To
Coloured by Irma Kniivila
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Last issue we met Uma and Dewydd who wanted to get off Earth and had actually found a way when they were confronted by Catrin. Well as luck would have it she was taken with them and suddenly the three found themselves free of the tyranny on Earth and out in galaxy. Alright it wasn’t as easy as all that but hey you should be reading the series for the full effect.
Well it seems that Uma is bit of a wild child as we open this issue. She’s stolen something nice and shiny after they’ve gotten money from selling stuff off the ship to go shopping. On what’s basically a mall world. Again i’m super impressed with the characterization here. As the story continues and we see just how much Uma needs to be reigned in, how much Dewydd likes her and what role Catrin is going to play well their personalities shine.
Now I have to admit the concept here is fantastic. That Earth has shut itself off from the galaxy and is vehemently against anything from space, they’ve blocked out the stars for crying out loud, and they destroy any sign of dissent to the rules. Xenophobia to a whole new level and the brainwashing we see there needs to be explored more because i’m dying to know when and why all this happened to begin with. Still these three kids are now out in the galaxy with a ship and no rules so you know it’s a tragicomedy waiting to happen.
Good grief Charlie Brown i’m loving what Marcus is doing here. We know he’s incredibly talented but he’s creating new aliens for us to behold and they wonderfully done. These bugs that are well mall cops for lack of a better term and the frog man that Uma meets yeah the creativity is perfect. The way he is visually telling this story through the flow of pages and panels is masterful and Irma’s colouring really is a huge compliment to the style he brings. The attention to detail throughout this issue warms me.
Alright so I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that they don’t know much are basically learning on the fly, literally. Not only does this add a huge dose of reality to things but heightens the drama of what’s going on. I mean yeah they’ve got that robot/alien that befriended Uma and now they’ve brought aboard Kolstak, who was planning on stealing the very item Uma got first. They are certainly making their presence known and it’s quite the raucous adventure they are having at that.
So there are things happening on Earth that will also change the game here and I cannot wait to see how all this is going to keep moving forward. I’m fascinated and amazed at the ideas that are swirling around as I read this. With great characters, an impressive plot and skilled storytelling through words and pictures this is the definition of a Joyride!