Most comic book writers have taken to announcing their upcoming and current projects on Substack, but the 3 Worlds/3 Moons collective has taken it a step further by creating whole comics. It’s even more impressive when you consider who founded this collective: writers Jonathan Hickman (East of West, Secret Wars) and Nick Spencer (Superior Foes of Spider-Man, Morning Glories) joined forces with Mike del Mundo (Thor, Spawn: Unwanted Violence) and Mike Huddleston (Decorum). That’s a hell of a creative lineup, and now comic fans can see these stories in print for the first time, starting with 3 Worlds/3 Moons: Foundations #1.
This print edition comes courtesy of Dark Horse Comics, and in my opinion, it’s the perfect fit. After all, Dark Horse is home to genre-bending hits like Hellboy, Minor Threats, and The Umbrella Academy. And the crux of 3 Worlds/3 Moons is a combination of science fiction and sorcery; imagine 2001: A Space Odyssey crashing full-tilt into Lord of the Rings, and you get this comic. Foundations, true to its name, lays the groundwork for this conflict with a trio of tales.
“Fable” introduces us to astronaut Tajo Vallar as he tells his son a bedtime story, which doubles as a clever bit of world-building. “Ruins” then follows Vallar as he and a team of scientists explore the ruins of a planet, which belonged to the mystical Academy – and uncover untold horrors in the process. “Breathe” then showcases Vallar encountering the inhabitants of said planet, and setting events in motion that’ll come to define other series 3 Worlds/3 Moons is putting out. While Hickman and Spencer write all three stories, Huddleston illustrates “Fable” and co-illustrates “Ruins” with del Mundo, while Jerome Opena and Matt Hollingsworth handle art duties on “Breathe”
Dark Horse
Hickman is best known for his immense world-building, whether it’s the post-apocalyptic landscape of East of West or the new Ultimate Universe. That’s especially true of Foundations, as he and Spencer craft a world that feels rich and lived in. The title of “3 Worlds/ 3 Moons” refers to the three worlds and their respective moons that make up the base of this universe’s mythology. The mix of fantasy and sci-fi also lends itself well to the comic form: one minute, you’re watching astronauts traveling across the surface of a dead moon, and the next, you’re seeing a trio of strange figures use magic to foresee the future. If you loved the data pages that Hickman introduced to the X-Men titles, they come back in full force in Foundations and help flesh out the world even more.
The art is the real draw here, as it brings Hickman and Spencer’s vision to life. Huddleston’s work has a clean, sleek look that you’d expect from a sci-fi film, down to the suit Vallar’s wearing and the tech his family uses. del Mundo tips fully into horror, with a shadow that has teeth and one astronaut’s face literally unraveling into blood and bone when he pulls off his helmet. Opena tops things off with a world that feels rich and lush, thanks to Hollingsworth’s colors and the amount of detail he brings to the page; the best moments involve Syg the White Stag, a sorcerer who’s a deer – and whose body seems to have plant matter running through it.
3 Worlds/3 Moons: Foundations #1 unites some of the best creators in comics to deliver a world rich in storytelling potential. With the back matter teasing more to come, the time has never been better for comics fans to check out what 3 Worlds/3 Moons is bringing to the table.
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