Antarctic Press 2020
Spurt Hammond
Written by Sean Russell
Illustrated by Mike Vosburg
Lettered by Nikki Powers
Space Sucks
Written by Mark Fenton
Illustrated by Brian Rogers
Lettered by Wes Locher
Subterfuge
by David Hutchison
Just in time for its 80th-issue anniversary, Planet Comics is blasting off once again, with a system of stellar stories to celebrate! Sean Russell and legendary comics artist Mike Vosburg deliver the derring-do of Spurt Hammond: Planet Flyer as he strives to save a stranded princess from a pursuing beast. And Mark Fenton and Brian Roger show what happens when a malfunction occurs at an orbital prison housing highly dangerous criminals, threatening the world below.
Normally I am not a fan of anthology series, however. If they feature a continuous strip then that is another story for me. With the introduction of these three stories is sensational and it makes me want to see more. Also I really like the fact that there are three stories here instead of four as it gives each story that extra page count. So if these are going to be monthly features I am completely and totally going to be into this.
Now I am one that loves being surprised and I was totally surprised by the opening story here. I really thought this was going to be something that it wasn't and that alone thrilled me beyond belief! The twists and turns that happened throughout the story were done perfectly and keeps the reader on the edge of their seats wonder what could possibly happen next. It was fun, thrilling and takes what we expect to see out of “old school” space adventures into something new, fresh and completely different and I have to say I want to see more of this from these guys. It was definitely a highlight story and a strong one which to open up with. The interiors here are fantastic as well. I love the creativity and imagination we see in the backgrounds of the planet and how our two main characters are portrayed as fine specimens of humanity. Really is just what I expect to see.
The second story here is one that has a really premise that makes us want to see more. I would like to see where this is going because the way this one was kind of crammed between the others didn't really give us enough of a look at it. Though what we do see is extremely well presented and while the art is more fine line drawing that doesn't stop the interiors from being sharp as heck. Also I like the take on the villain here as well, though I do wish it felt more like an enclosed space to give this a more claustrophobic feel. Though I would like to see what Space Ranger Pace is going to do or encounter next. I feel like there is something behind what she was doing on that ship anyway as she cut them off with a clear signal. So I am waiting patiently to see what she's really up to.
The final story here is one that I love seeing. It has this complete steampunk kind of feel from a time when Steampunk wasn't a really a thing. Like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea kind of look, tone and feel to the story. This kind of classic science fiction storytelling just inherently makes me one happy camper. I grew up with the older versions of that and others in the genre before special effects got to where they are today so it really reminds me of my childhood and much happier times. The art here is great when it comes to the diving suits and uniforms or the outside of their ship but inside I wish we'd see more backgrounds to really showcase that they are in tight quarters. After all if they are in a submarine style ship then we should feel that. Otherwise I am really excited about the prospect of what this represents.
This showcases that you can do an homage to the past while it keeping extremely modern at the same time. Each one of these stories represents a different aspect of the space opera genre of the past and each one has those elements that make them beautifully unique. This for me is pure gold!