Cosmic Times 2015
Designers and Storyline Developers: Topi Koivisto & Tapio Miettinen
Storyline Writer: Tapio Miettinen
Production: Topi Koivisto, Tapio Miettinen & Jukka Planman
I was intrigued by the title and honestly had no real idea what this was going to be and sometimes that’s the best way to read something. No expectations and fresh world to discover. This is very much a post apocalyptic science fiction story and i’m way good with that. This new age of digital artwork has come a long way and the interiors of this book reflect that giving the planet and it’s buildings everything described in the narration and more.
There’s something hauntingly beautiful about this with its buildings and structures crumbling down with light shades of the sun’s light shining down upon them. The attention to detail is incredible and unmistakable senses of desolation and loneliness tugs at you. This future world where the planet was pretty much taken over by corporations and the all the land utilized by technology and buildings showcase how easy it would be to use up the Earth’s resources in such a small amount of time by over building.
There’s something hypnotic and mesmerizing about this book as you read it. You are drawn into this world visually and then through the narration which permeates much of the issue you can’t help but feel for this place. Sad and lonely and yet so desolate and beautiful at the same time. I do wonder as the narration goes on if there’s a person talking to us describing what he sees. The journey this person takes leaves a mysterious tone that you want to learn about the narrator.
When we finally see something of the narrator it becomes less clear if this someone alive or a sentient machine. Again it’s that unknown quantity that piques the curiosity in ways that hard to explain. Throughout this issue i’m totally in awe of what i’m experiencing. As far as setting up a series goes this has to be one of the more unique, well thought out and executed i’ve come across. You are constantly looking at the pages waiting for some threat to emerge or an Alien attack of some sort. That kind of tension is great for this type of series and it really keeps you highly focused on the book.
When a threat finally does emerge and a firefight ensues we finally see more than the black and white wasteland of this world as their weaponry erupts in colour. Again with the kind of work you can produce digitally these days the shading and the highlights and lowlights just have you examining every detail you can.
While there’s no real explanation as to what they are or why they are at odds with one another it really doesn’t matter. Our main character seems to be using a later model droid as his body while the other is a newer sleeker model. We really know nothing about this world and what the rules are and who is running it. After this issue as a reader i’m more intrigued than ever to keep learning about this world and those in it.
This is an extremely well written and intensely illustrated look at a shattered world and those still on it.