Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: Joe Henderson
Artist: Lee Garbett
Release Date: 18th April 2018
The basic conceit of this book is based around a simply question: “what would happen in a world with much, much less gravity?”
In this first issue, we get to see the day when gravity was “turned down” and its effects on one particular poor family. We then jumps forward twenty years to a world that has gradually become accustomed to the new status quo.
Aside establishing the central premise, not much happens in this issue but given that this is the first of a new story – particularly one based around such a significant idea – that can perhaps be expected. In terms of world building, it falls on the good side of average, and we quickly learn the dos and don’ts of this new society. And, with the world well and truly introduced, the final panel of the issue kicks off the story properly, setting things up for the series to come.
I’m not a massive fan of the art style as it just isn’t to my personal taste, but the slightly elongated character design is a nice touch that sells the idea that there is no gravity, meaning the character’s spines aren’t as compressed as they otherwise would.
At the end of the day, this series has a lot (and I mean a lot) of potential, but for a first issue it feels a little average, which I suppose is pretty much par for the course with these kind of high-concept books.
On first read-through, Skyward reminds me of Animosity from AfterShock Comics – a simple concept that has near limitless scope for expansion. And, to that end, I can only hope that Henderson and Garbett follow in Animosity’s footsteps and focus on the story and characters first and the ‘gimmick’ second.
Rating: 3/5.
The writer of this piece was: David Gladman
David Tweets from @the_gladrags
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