Starship Down #1
Dark Horse Comics 2020
Written by Justin Giampaoli
Illustrated by Andrea Mutti
Coloured by Vladimir Popov
Lettered by Sal Cipriano
Mankind discovers its startling origin! A cultural anthropologist consults with US Naval Intelligence to investigate the discovery of an extraterrestrial ship buried under the ice for thousands of years in Siberia. The meddling Russians, Vatican officials, the international media spotlight, and her own insecurities all threaten her efforts to keep the fabric of society from crumbling.
When I saw this I knew I was going to pick it up, I mean I am a huge Mutti fan, but what I didn't know is that this would be the kind of story is it. I was blown away by what I saw here and I got to say this really is one of those things where everything about it is nothing like you expect but exactly what you want to see. There is a great complexity and layering to the story that really takes you by surprise because the characters we see just add that dimension which is what takes this to the next level. I also have to say that there are some very familiar aspects to this but the way we see the characters introduced totally takes that familiar air and knocks it out of the sky.
I really do like the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well. There is a great way that we follow Dr. Young through the book and see things from her perspective that really creates something different than what we're accustomed to. The character development is amazing. The way these characters behave, act and react to the situations and circumstances really helps to flesh them out. The Vatican's man though is whom we immediately dislike as his own air of superiority is more than palpable. The pacing is great and as it takes through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way it helps to create this really strong and intriguing ebb & flow.
I really thought this was going to be a pure science fiction story and instead I feel like we're getting something closer to that Aliens vs. Predator (in the arctic), The Thing and Harbinger Down mixed together. In the end though the guys really have created something uniquely special here and not only has it gone and grabbed the attention, it's engaged the reader and helps the imagination soar.
I love Andrea's work. His linework is always so nice, shows a strong steady hand and really understands how to create this marvellous attention to detail. I mean that chopper comes to life beautifully and the fatigues we see with the patterning, which is really Vladimir, and the weathered look that the cold creates is fantastic! The composition within the panels and how they utilise the backgrounds creates some stellar depth perception, a strong sense of scale, and the overall sense of size and scope to the book. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masters eye for storytelling. Vladimir is a genius with colour. The way he can utilise the various hues and tones within any given colour, create the shading, highlights and shadow work and make the colours sing is perfection. That blues and whites can have aquas and purples thanks to where they are and how the time day affects snow and ice is gorgeous.
I am so down for this. I hadn't expected for them to find what they did where they did and I have to say that the stir it all causes will have numerous ripple effects as the story moves forward. I mean if the Vatican's man finds out the truth I can only imagine what he'll do to those around him and the site itself. There are so many different scenarios that I personally can come up with and it's going to be exciting as all hell to see where this takes us.
Dark Horse Comics 2020
Written by Justin Giampaoli
Illustrated by Andrea Mutti
Coloured by Vladimir Popov
Lettered by Sal Cipriano
Mankind discovers its startling origin! A cultural anthropologist consults with US Naval Intelligence to investigate the discovery of an extraterrestrial ship buried under the ice for thousands of years in Siberia. The meddling Russians, Vatican officials, the international media spotlight, and her own insecurities all threaten her efforts to keep the fabric of society from crumbling.
When I saw this I knew I was going to pick it up, I mean I am a huge Mutti fan, but what I didn't know is that this would be the kind of story is it. I was blown away by what I saw here and I got to say this really is one of those things where everything about it is nothing like you expect but exactly what you want to see. There is a great complexity and layering to the story that really takes you by surprise because the characters we see just add that dimension which is what takes this to the next level. I also have to say that there are some very familiar aspects to this but the way we see the characters introduced totally takes that familiar air and knocks it out of the sky.
I really do like the way that this is being told. The story & plot development that we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is presented extremely well. There is a great way that we follow Dr. Young through the book and see things from her perspective that really creates something different than what we're accustomed to. The character development is amazing. The way these characters behave, act and react to the situations and circumstances really helps to flesh them out. The Vatican's man though is whom we immediately dislike as his own air of superiority is more than palpable. The pacing is great and as it takes through the pages revealing the twists and turns along the way it helps to create this really strong and intriguing ebb & flow.
I really thought this was going to be a pure science fiction story and instead I feel like we're getting something closer to that Aliens vs. Predator (in the arctic), The Thing and Harbinger Down mixed together. In the end though the guys really have created something uniquely special here and not only has it gone and grabbed the attention, it's engaged the reader and helps the imagination soar.
I love Andrea's work. His linework is always so nice, shows a strong steady hand and really understands how to create this marvellous attention to detail. I mean that chopper comes to life beautifully and the fatigues we see with the patterning, which is really Vladimir, and the weathered look that the cold creates is fantastic! The composition within the panels and how they utilise the backgrounds creates some stellar depth perception, a strong sense of scale, and the overall sense of size and scope to the book. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a masters eye for storytelling. Vladimir is a genius with colour. The way he can utilise the various hues and tones within any given colour, create the shading, highlights and shadow work and make the colours sing is perfection. That blues and whites can have aquas and purples thanks to where they are and how the time day affects snow and ice is gorgeous.
I am so down for this. I hadn't expected for them to find what they did where they did and I have to say that the stir it all causes will have numerous ripple effects as the story moves forward. I mean if the Vatican's man finds out the truth I can only imagine what he'll do to those around him and the site itself. There are so many different scenarios that I personally can come up with and it's going to be exciting as all hell to see where this takes us.
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