EDITOR’S NOTE: Once things return to normal following the coronavirus crisis, most of us are going to be on limited budgets. I seriously doubt real comics fans are going to give up their hobby, but they’ll need to be more selective and will probably pass up some books they might normally pick up.
That’s probably going to hurt the smaller indie publishers more than the Big Two, and that would be a shame.
As a comics blogger, I sometimes get advance review copies of upcoming books. I’m going to try to review as many as possible and post them here early enough that readers can then make informed decisions about their purchase choices. Even more important, comic shops are going to need their customer base to step up and pre-order as much as possible. I’m concerned that many books that deserve an audience won’t benefit because comic shops are going to cut back on quantity, and probably not going to bring in a book they have no pre-orders for.
I'll be using the PROJECT F.O.C.US header to draw attention to these pre-release reviews. I hope you'll come to trust my opinions, and will use these to make informed choices about what books to pre-order and assist your local comic shop in managing their assets. The F.O.C. in F.O.C.US stands for Final Order Cutoff. I just love acronyms that allow me to make a pun at the same time.
ROGUE PLANET #1 (Oni Press, May 27 release date;final order cutoff 5/11/2020) Writer: Cullen Bunn. Artist: Andy MacDonald. Colors: Nick Filardi. Letters: Crank! Main cover by Andy MacDonald and Nick Filardi. “Chapter 01, Planetfall”.
Considering writer Cullen Bunn’s incredible track record with the recent UNEARTH as well as writing quirky blends of horror with other genres - - there was no way I wasn’t going to check this title out. In fact, I pre-ordered it automatically as soon as I saw his name associated with this.
The opening credits page puts forward a definition of a rogue planet to help set the scene: A celestial body not bound to a star. Expelled from the planetary system in which they formed. Abandoned.
The opening teaser scene shows an alien race (resembling the standard image of extraterrestials) involved in sacrifice to a massive, bulbous image of their god.
Cut to the space-faring salvage vessel Cortes and it’s culturally diverse, mixed race crew of eight as they receive a transmission about a payload on the nearest planet. While suspicious in nature, they make a landing and set out with an armored search party.
Mountainous alien terrain to traverse, huge glowing crystals that emit heat, and a trail that ends in a graveyard of ships and a monstrous being that moves like a python and quickly surrounds the crew. It all happens very quickly in the first issue.
RATING SYSTEM
STORY: While the concept of a space vessel answering a strange transmission seems very familiar (Alien, etc) Cullen Bunn puts his own spin on things, trending towards delightfully horrific. He does a fine job of introducing us to all eight crew members within just a few pages. 2.5 POINTS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 3.
ART: Filardi’s art is crisp and to-the-point, reminding me here of a cross between the best of Jeff Lemire and Aaron Kuder. 2.5 POINTS OUT OF A POSSIBLE 3.
COVER: A good hook to make me want to open up and take a look. 1 POINT OUT OF A POSSIBLE 2.
READ AGAIN? Yes, especially since it’s such a quick read. 1 POINT OUT OF A POSSIBLE 1.
RECOMMEND? Not everyone’s cup of tea for sure. If you like sci-fi/horror and Cullen Bunn’s writing you’ll want to check this out. ONE-HALF POINT OUT OF A POSSIBLE 1..
TOTAL RATING: 7.5 OUT OF A POSSIBLE 10 POINTS. Above average, worth consideration.
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