Review – UFOlogy #1 (of 6) (BOOM! Studios)

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: James Tynion IV, Noah J. Yuenkel
Artist: Matthew Fox
Colourist: Adam Metcalfe
Letterer: Colin Bell
Release Date: 1st April 2015

Tynion and Yuenkel’s UFO themed series has a comfortably familiar feel to it from the outset. As a big fan of Steven Spielberg’s work, it’s fairly easy to see his influence on this book. From the measured way we are initially immersed into the narrative through engaging radio chatter combined with a pensive sweep from the speckled heavens, to the pinkish hue on the noses of each of town’s inhabitants, the issue immediately evokes a sense of a very human drama set within a larger fantastical framework.

Mukawgee is a rural Midwestern town with a history of alien visitation; a past only fully acknowledged by a small number of the townsfolk. The story is initially told from two perspectives; a gifted student named Becky, who despite her talent simply wants to live a regular life, and Malcolm Chamber; an autistic teen who believes aliens abducted his mother and are set to return. The paths of both become intertwined when Becky is marked by an alien lifeform whilst investigating a strange light in an abandoned church.

Tynion’s gift for characterisation shines, as we are introduced to a subtly nuanced cast of characters. There’s a richness to each even at this early stage that endears them to you quickly. This does however mean the issue is fairly dialogue heavy, bordering on excessive. Letterer Colin Bell does an excellent job of squeezing in the hefty script, his word balloons battling to find space in certain panels, but the pacing really slows throughout the first two thirds of the issue.

The final third picks up the pace and allows Matthew Fox’s art a little room to breathe. His storytelling has a nice flow to it throughout, and there are a couple of neatly orchestrated double page splashes on offer. Adam Metcalfe’s choice of gentle pastel blues and pinks give the book a cold but cosy feeling, which really helps sell the vibe I think the writers are going for.

Although it might be a little too slow burning for some, UFOlogy succeeds in recapturing the magic of E.T. and Close Encounters, and sets up an intriguing conspiracy-themed story in the process.

Rating: 4/5.

INTERIOR ARTWORK
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The Writer of this piece was: Martin Doyle
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