The second book from Bubble I checked out ended up being Meteora. I will fully admit that it was the cover that sold me on checking the book out. I mean just look at that cover. The good news is that the interior while different mostly due to the coloring, is really good. In general, this is a good-looking book. The story of Meteora is set in future space. We meet Alena, whose nickname is “Meteora”, as she tries not to get sucked into a sun. The book then goes back in time to explain how the story got to that point which is not my favorite storytelling device. I will say that it works here because we’re only introduced to Meteora and her narration. Ora (the shortened version of her nickname) is a smuggler.

In the true begging of the story she and her cat person partner Push are on their way to a job. Ora has asked none of the important questions about the job which makes Push nervous. Ora breaks all of the smuggling rules that keep them safe and she knows it. Once at their meeting spot some natives give Ora a hard time about being a human or a “Hume” as they call her. She beats their ass in a very “Han shot first” type of moment and they bounce. Their contact ended up waiting for them outside anyway. The job is fishy. Ora pumps the guy for info to appease Push, but it turns out poorly when their third crew member Ziggy (who is some kind of space squirrel) interferes with the cargo.

This book is funny. Ziggy reminds me of Bender from Futurama, he causes more trouble than he’s worth, but they keep him around. Ora is badass and really reminded me of a gender bent Han Solo. Push is the straight man and the voice of reason that no one listens to, but he looks like a powerhouse so I’m hoping he doesn’t play the worry-wart the entire time. The writing is really good. The issue sucks you in and while the outcome is a little typical, it was fun as hell to get to there. After finishing the issue, I wanted to read more. It has a familiar vibe, there’s a lot of influences at play here, but it makes for a great comic that you feel at home reading instantly.

Again, the artwork is great. Really the only difference in my opinion from the cover to the interior is the style of coloring. The cover is layered more like a CG animation while the interior is flattened like, well a comic book. It looks great. The character designs are interesting and there’s a range of creatures/aliens to us, to look at. Ziggy’s look tells you everything about him and then when he opens his mouth he confirms it. Ora is beautiful, but not sexualized. Sure she’s rocking a mid-drift… I don’t see the problem so I have no other way of finishing this sentence. The art and coloring really elevate this book in terms of quality.

Maybe I’m a sucker for a good space story or space smugglers story, but Meteora managed to grab my full attention. You might be reading some of that Marvel space stuff right now and if you are, try this out. This is better unless you’re a blind loyalist in which case you shouldn’t even bother reading this review. If like me you just love a good space story and rich characters to journey with, then Meteora is definitely the book for you.

Score: 4/5

Meteora #1 Writer: Artem Gabrelyanov Artist: Konstantin Tarasov Colorist: Anastasia Katerinich Publisher: Bubble Price: $0.99 Release Date: 10/14/15 Comixology Link