Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: in the far reaches of space, a ragtag group of freedom fighters launches a revolution against a massive empire. It’s a trope that’s served as the foundation of franchises like Star Wars, Dune and Saga. Aubrey Stitterson and Jed Doughtery take an unexpected approach to this tried and true formula with Free Planet #1: it takes place after the rebels have won their freedom. Now in charge of the planet Lutheria, they learn that having freedom is an entirely different battle than fighting to keep it.
Free Planet #1 isn’t the first time Stitterson has taken a unique approach to a certain genre. His work on No One Left to Fight is probably the best approach to an “American-style anime” in comic book form that I’ve ever read, and he shows that he can shift genres while still keeping the same approach. Free Planet #1 reads more like a sci-fi novel than a comic at times – large blocks of text, carefully crafted by Taylor Esposito, lay out who the characters are and their relationship to each other. But it pairs very well with the world that’s being built page by page.
Sitterson has a great grasp of creating characters you immediately want to know more about. Throughout the isuse, he flashes back to the days of the Rebellion to showcase how these characters got to where they are, and highlightst their current struggles. A great example is with Gloria Sunandez, the leader of the newly minted Freedom Guard that protects Lutheria. Gloria was once a member of the alliance that ruled Lutheria, so she must turn her military tactics from suppression to protection, which is easier said than done.
It helps that Doughtery gives each member of the Freedom Guard their own unique style. From Keen Surroko, whose face is covered in blue and white tattoos matching his fatigues, to the Usmansens (a pair of scientists with a glowing head and a massive mechanical body), everyone feels like a distinct character. The various styles of clothing and ships also make each character feel distinct, especially when Vittorio Astone adds a rich layer of color to Dougherty’s art. Sequences in space feel as vast as the stars themselves, while Lutheria contains every kind of environment you can imagine, from dusty plains to grassy hills.
I will say that the standout character of Free Planet #1 has to be the robot Tallun, who also worked for the Alliance but eventually turned on them. I’m a sucker for sentient robots in fiction, and Tallun is an intriguing character because at his core, he represents the story Free Planet #1 is trying to tackle. If a machine can grow, change, and learn empathy, it’s possible that the Freedom Guard can make Lutheria a safe place to live.
Free Planet #1 is a truly unique sci-fi comic, flipping the script on a well-worn trope while also straddling the divide between comic and novel. But it’s the kind of comic that Image thrives in bringing to life, and the kind of comic that will appeal to a large swath of folks; whether you’re a fan of good comics, good science fiction, or just a good story.
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