Review by: Connor Russell I think one of the harder genres to pull off is sci-fi. It’s hard to try and be original because of so much that has been done (you don't want it being Star Trek or something). But then sometimes it can feel like the writers may be stepping out of their comfort zones and falling short. Like Disney did with The Black Hole back in 1979.
The story starts with a kid starting his new job at being a navigator for a freighter ship. They receive a call to a planet that is eight months away and upon arriving, the crew are told they were never called upon. Things seem shifty so they plan an escape only to realize there is a stowaway, one of the girls from the base. We also come to learn that the “new kid” isn't what he appears to be.
John Byrne was the man behind both the art and the writing of this collection. Personally I wasn't too fond of his story as a whole but the main thing that annoyed me was how many characters had secret stories and ulterior motives. It was happening so fast I could've gotten whiplash. I don't mind when that happen sometimes with a few of the characters as it can add some depth and some good development to the story, not taking everything at face value. Problem is I felt like this didn't help too much with adding the much needed life the otherwise dry characters needed.
I don't really know how to describe Byrne's art style. There is a lot of thick line work, especially around the faces of people. And this is where I feel Byrne fell the worst, his faces barely look right. Most times its just little things but every now and then a face will look a little lopsided, as though it shouldn't appear that way from the angle shown with the panel.
Overall I didn't like this book. To me it fell short in too many areas, the story telling being my biggest problem. Even though there were sudden twists, they were predictable (this doesn't always mean its bad, but it wasn't executed well). I honestly cannot recommend this book, but hey that’s just my opinion. Do what you want really.
Score: 2/5
Writer/Artist/Creator: John Byrne
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Price: $17.99
Released Date: 7/3/13