Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Becky Cloonan
Artist(s): Andy Belanger, Lee Loughridge
Release Date: January 13th, 2016

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Following the death of her sibling, Braith travels to Southern Cross – a space tanker on Titan, which is Saturn’s largest moon. Her sister worked on the ship, and the circumstances surrounding her death aren’t sitting too well with the suspicious Braith. When she arrives, she’s allocated to a room with a dark history, and it’s there she meets the outgoing Erin. However, when Erin disappears without a trace, Braith suspects foul play, and sets out to find her – only to uncover some of the dangerous, strange, otherworldly secrets hidden on the Southern Cross.

Named after the Black Sabbath song of the same name, SOTHERN CROSS is a murder mystery with a sci-fi horror twist, and well, it’s pretty freaking excellent. It’s set in a universe where corporations have gotten much bigger, and space has been colonized to feed Earth’s greedy demands for natural resources. Furthermore, there’s a sub-plot involving crime barons and the story is littered with loving odes to the commercial satire of 80’s Paul Verhoeven, reminiscent of ROBOCOP and TOTAL RECALL, wrapped in the bow of a blue collar noir. There’s even a little EVENT HORIZON in there for good measure.

What starts off as a murder mystery gradually escalates into something much bigger and scarier than merely finding a killer. As the saga progresses, there are more twists and turns than a Formula 1 racecourse – you won’t want to put it down, as each chapter ends on such a huge cliff hanger you’ll find yourself completely engrossed in it until its done. Not only that, but you’ll be left craving more of it, and thankfully it ends open ended enough to continue.

This is a story for the average Joe, albeit set in a world none of us will never know – at least not in our lifetime. Braith is an engaging character – a loner with a troubled past, whose skills would have made her a find detective if she didn’t choose to live on the opposite end of the law for a good portion of her life. She gives off a JESSICA JONES vibe, although the world she lives in is far more interesting; it is in space after all, and space is the bee’s knees.

Andy Belanger’s artwork is stunning, and his panels perfectly capture the desolation of space and feelings of ominous dread that should always be present throughout a good horror comic. And the male characters all look really sleazy, which matches their personalities so fittingly. Then there are images of psychedelic horror that are just so beautifully surreal it’s mesmerising.

Overall, SOUTHERN CROSS is a great read. The mystery will grip you throughout, and it stays a few steps ahead of you every time. I had no idea what was going on until it allowed me to catch up with it. For that I commend it. Add to your shopping list – you won’t be disappointed. Just keep taking our money Image, you deserve every penny of it.

Rating: 5/5

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The writer of this piece was: Kieran Fisher
Kieran Tweets from @HairEverywhere_

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