OUTER DARKNESS VOLUME 1: EACH OTHER’S THROATS by John Layman, writer and Afu Chan, artist. (Image Comics, May 2019) Trade paperback, 152 pages. ISBN # 1534312102 / 9781534312104. Collects Outer Darkness #1-5.
Summary on the Goodreads website. . . . .
Sci-fi and horror collide in this new series from the creator of CHEW!
Mankind has colonized the galaxy, but during our interstellar travels, we've discovered a terrifying secret out in the Outer Darkness of space. Join Captain Joshua Rigg and the crew of the starship Charon as they encounter demonic possessions, hauntings, cosmic horror and more!
All-star writer JOHN LAYMAN (Chew) and artist AFU CHAN (Immortal Iron Fists) are ready to let you know that outer space is terrifying.
My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . .
Imagine Star Trek if scripted by the writers of The X-Files, Fringe, and/or The Twilight Zone. Couple that with serio-comic art that fits the grim and goofy blend of this book, and you will know the short take on OUTER DARKNESS.
There’s much more to explore, of course. I liked this so much I gave it a second read, and obtained an even greater appreciation for its merits. John Layman is a writer worth following, at least everything he’s written since CHEW.
Just as the television adventures of the Starship Enterprise created magic through the rich characterization of the crew members, what makes OUTER DARKNESS hum is the equally engaging characters that make up the good ship Charon’s staff.
Captain Joshua Riggs was lucky to land this assignment, as he’s been bounced around from job to job due to both his insubordination as well as a reckless habit of ignoring the rules of spacefaring etiquette. The giant Agwe seems to shadow Riggs and now serves as Captain’s Advisor, mainly for sarcastically stating the obvious. Service Administrator Soreena Prakash is constantly reminding Riggs of protocol and is skeptical of his leadership abilities.
The ship is operated by a god-engine, a Sumerian demon that requires souls for fuel (“war criminals, assorted scum”). Ghosts pop up in ship corridors from time to time. The remaining crew is comprised of a mix of human and alien races. Alastor Satalis is First Officer, and immediately resents the loss of command upon Rigg’s arrival.
Charon is sent on its’ first mission under Riggs to rescue and retrieve someone the Galactic Service High Command deems invaluable, yet whose identity is classified and known only to Prakash. The mission will require the ship to travel beyond the war zone and into the “outer darkness”. Due to the unknown nature of various supernatural threats they anticipate encountering, the ship is also staffed with a compliment of exorcists and wizards plus an oracle who apparently doesn’t have a clue.
Volume One ends without the Charon reaching it’s destination due to several detours, conflicts of interest among the administration, and several threats as demons are released and a few staff members are engaged in sabotage beyond those who are contemplating mutiny.
The descriptions may sound ominous, but Layman and Chan manage to straddle the line between horror and humor with amusing situations, entertaining dialogue and light-hearted bloodshed.
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