Publisher: Image Comics
Story and Art: Brian Haberlin
Colors: Dan Kemp
Release Date: 6th July 2016

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I have been following this book regularly over the last few months and it keeps going from strength to strength. Not only has the story got a clear sense of direction and a strong narrative, it is also very well paced, and the artwork is truly ‘wall worthy’ in several places.

This issue is the start of the next arc which looks set to feature more interaction with various alien species while also learning more about the cosmic politics of this universe. Despite the team being considered the cutting edge back home, they instantly feel like minnows after boarding the space station. Unlike previous encounters they seem to meet genuinely nice aliens who explain cosmic etiquette and social norms. It is nice just to see the crew learning the intergalactic ropes and feeling out of their depth.

The only thing that is perhaps not to my taste is the style of the characters faces. There is something about a couple of the human characters that doesn’t sit well with me but, I know that is just personal taste opposed to Brian Haberlin’s skill.

Not much in terms of story advancement happens in the issue and normally I would feel cheated by a book doing this but the level of universe building and intriguing dialogue make it an absolute joy to read.

That is what lets me know this book is special. Even in “filler” issues I still can’t wait to read the next page. No panel feels wasted, no dialogue feels clunky. It flows as naturally as a TV show (which it should definitely be made into). The only other book out there that provides me with a similar easy and enjoyable read is IDW’s Ghostbusters. I would go as far to say that this is my second favourite ongoing series, and I will most definitely be buying the collected edition as soon as it is released.

Rating: 5/5.

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The writer of this piece was: David Gladman
David Tweets from @the_gladrags

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