I was impressed with how well the first issue of Delta 13 blended horror and sci-fi themes. My one gripe was it ended a bit prematurely, but luckily issue #2 will solve that problem quickly.
So what’s it about?
The official summary reads:
Who knows what mysteries lie deep in the asteroid belt? When a mysterious, huge, and previously undiscovered asteroid looms over their ship, a small crew of blue-collar workers discovers a terrifying threat unlike anything they’ve ever seen. Now, the crew must escape the asteroid, but even if they do, will they be able to escape each other and anything they bring back with them?
Why does this matter?
This second volume begins to reveal the “monster” that is hidden inside a giant asteroid. Think for a minute what it would be like if you were space explorers working for a corporation under the impression aliens do not exist. Then you find yourself in front of an ancient and giant door inside an asteroid. That’d freak me out too.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Your first mistake.
This series continues to have the elements of some of the greatest sci-fi and space horror I’ve ever seen. Steven Niles is slowly, and surely, unveiling something that these very normal and relatable characters won’t be prepared for. As they explore they come across something even stranger than the first volume and by the end you’ll be screaming at the comic, “Are you crazy run, run away!”
Nat Jones draws some pretty pictures in this volume, just like he did in the last. This time we get a beautiful visage that continues the theme of horrible things being pretty before they kill everyone in their path. The use of color (and sometimes, the lack thereof) is quite nice with tones of blue giving the book a feeling of dread. There continues to be a lot of talking, but that helps humanize the characters aided by Jones’ sketchy but sure style.
Don’t go in there!
It can’t be perfect can it?
It’s official, this book will be best read collected. Maybe I’m just impatient, but the story is moving too slowly for my tastes. It’s not bad by any means, but by the end I wanted more — more plot development specifically, while the character writing continues to be very sure of itself, and also human, the plot moves about as far as five minutes of a movie would, which is asking a lot of folks who paid $3.99 for the book.
Is it good?
I like this story and I like how good it is at being a sci-fi horror tuned to an audience who loves movies. Unfortunately, it’s moving too slowly and will be best read collected.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.