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From Jody LeHeup (Writer of Shirtless Bear Fighter) and artist Nathan Fox (DMZ, Haunt) comes a sci-fi adventure truly like no other. Follow Nathan Bright, ace weatherman for the local news on Terraformed Mars in the year 2770. He lives the perfect life, working to his own schedule with his best pal Sadie (his dog). But things are taking a turn for the worst when he’s accused of the worst terrorist attack of all time. Did he actually do it or is he one unlucky slacker?
As far as first issues go, this is a fantastic introduction to a cast of characters and world. Nathan Bright is a naturally funny character. LeHeup’s writing works well to tell readers everything they need to know about him whilst leaving just enough secret to hook them in. It’s one of the funnier books out today. A great montage shows readers not just how ‘cool’ Nathan is but how the public perceives him. There are genuine laughs to be had in this issue. Not that it’s all comedic, however; there’s a distinct turn in the issue that lets everyone know it will not be a laugh a minute. A real testament to LeHeup’s writing that he can juggle tones so easily.
It’s quite remarkable how the world building aspect of the issue was seamlessly woven into the story. Short lines from the characters or minor details in the backgrounds of panels (thanks to Fox’s artwork) fill in large details about the world these characters inhabit. There’s so much within this issue alone that it’s easy to get a grasp of where things are and what’s happening. And just like with Nathan, the world building gives readers enough to feel like they understand the book, but teases enough to completely hook them into the series.
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Nathan Fox’s artwork is spectacular and goes great with the tone of the book. His more stylized work really adds to the comedic nature of the weatherman but when it comes to action his style also helps emphasize the pace. Fox controls the pacing with his fight scenes, over emphasizing legs and arms to show how frenetic everything is. The coloring is fine, although everything seems a little flat. It’s similar to comics based off cartoons in that regard. This may be an intention of the creators however.
As far as drawbacks go there aren’t many here. As said the coloring could be more interesting. It’s especially noticeable during the fight scenes that block areas have just been filled digitally. Beyond that there’s an example of animal harm in the book. Obviously, this isn’t a ‘real’ negative of the issue but it’s a pretty cheap tactic to get readers to care in a work of fiction. And considering how good the rest of the issue is, one would think LeHeup could have thought of something better. That said, this is issue one so we’ll see what happens next month.
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