Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Jonathan Lau
Colorist: Andrew Dalhouse
Release Date: 1st May 2024

Announced by Dynamite Entertainment back in December 2023, this opening issue penned by David Pepose clearly built up a solid fanbase when it was first published some sixteen weeks later – becoming the thirteenth best-selling title of the month according to ICv2.com. True, the award-winning writer doesn’t spend much time at all explaining just why poor space colony Omicron has become the target of mass-murdering space pirates. But that’s just part of this twenty-two page periodical’s initial hook, as its largely bewildered audience are only fed the odd scrap of information whilst the adrenalin-fuelled action continues to ramp itself up.

Furthermore, the entire story is arguably told from the somewhat naïve viewpoint of adolescents Jan and Jace Keplar. This wholly innocent perspective genuinely adds some extra “KATHOOOM” to proceedings, as every threat, curse and weapon discharge appears even more calamitous through their eyes. Indeed, due to the pair of children witnessing the horrific demise of their hapless father shortly after this comic starts, the entire publication appears to take both the young antagonists, as well as the utterly enthralled audience, on a serious rollercoaster ride packed full of dramatic physical exertions and excruciating emotional trauma.

In addition, to make matters even more intriguing, Pepose opts to keep the titular character well in the shadows for a significant portion of his book. This actually does generate some enjoyable doubt within the mind of the reader that perhaps this particular incarnation of Hanna-Barbera Productions creation might be a little darker than that seen on the small screen during his animated cartoon series in the Sixties. It also quite nicely helps sell the suggestion that the two kids don’t even know just who their would-be rescuer is – making their headlong flight from the caped super-hero straight into the hands of some corrupt Galactic Patrolmen even more believable.

Lastly, the pulse-pounding pencils of Jonathan Lau are well worth mentioning, seeing as his layouts do a truly stellar job in depicting all the chaos and fear filling the children’s previously perfect world. In particular, the superstar artist clearly knows how to sketch someone throwing a formidably-strong punch straight into an opponent’s side or a corrupt cop getting roasted alive by a spaceship’s engine blast; “Not after you spend the next six months in traction!”

The writer of this piece was: Simon Moore
Simon Tweets from @Blaxkleric ‏
You can read more of his reviews at The Brown Bag