Dark Horse Comics 2015
Written by Matt Kindt
Illustrated by Scott Kolins
Coloured by Bill Crabtree
Back in the distant future, Art, Phil, Ursula, Margaret, and Herb were the universe’s greatest deep-time explorers, until a mysterious systems failure crashed them in the primitive twenty-first century. Unable to die—time abhors a paradox—and with no way home, the team broke apart and scattered to the wind. One year later, as creatures and machines from other times start appearing, Art sees a chance to return the “pastaways” to their original era and calls the team back together.
The first issue was kind of crazy, in a good way to me, that gave us a look at these characters now and enough to know that it is an interesting concept. This issue fleshes the characters out by showcasing them before they came to the past, our present. So we’ve not seen anything as of yet that caused them to become the people see now so the revelation process by Matt is being done in such an untraditional way that I’m digging it. So with revealing a little bit at a time mixing the past and present we’re getting a look at what shaped them from the start and leading up to where they are now we’re seeing something unfold in a unique way.
I’ve also really enjoyed Scott’s work and his work involving the Rogues has always made me happy but what i’m seeing here is his growth and evolution as an artist and this stuff is utterly amazing. First page right off the bat that Mantis creature is a eye catching wow moment among all the other bizarre artifacts present. Plus the visual tour of the improved headquarters is just amazing I love seeing his imagination come to life like this.
I do like the characterization we’re getting here as the group once again finds themselves together after being apart for so long and after well the fact that Phil tried to kill Art and if he thought Art could die he’d try again. Oh and you don’t just a look at someone’s personality by dialogue alone as Scott really does the faces on these guys in such a spooky and intense way. Oh and this look into their lives is fascinating stuff and you have to wonder how in the world these people of such diverse backgrounds were chosen to be a group in the first place.
Honestly I really want a look at the people who sent them here in the first place as we’ve yet to see anything of their time period and who had the authority to send them into the past or even if there is such an organization. The future is wide open for interpretation though for these folks that future is their past and the present is the unknown so everything they do is new and exciting and enlightening and who knows what effect it will have on their future at all and with so much stuff finding a way to follow them through time, both benign and malevolent, it will be interesting to see what happens from issue to issue.
The fact that this time travel story is completely unique and being explored unlike anything else ever has been is a huge reason i’m digging it as much as I am. This team is amazing and the way they work together gives Dark Horse another stellar enterprise.