Advanced Review: PRIMORDIAL #1 (OF 6)

One of today’s best comic book creative teams is back with a brand new series as Andrea Sorrentino and Jeff Lemire’s latest series Primordial is set to debut this September. They have had some amazing success together with their work on Green Arrow, Old Man Logan, and most recently Gideon Falls. So coming into this book it is hard not to have a high level of expectations, and overall those expectations were met.

The story takes place in an alternate timeline where the Space Program is being shut down. Apparently, the early experiments of sending animals into space failed horribly for both the United States and The Soviet Union. Instead of wasting further lives, it has been decided to no longer reach for the stars. Our central story focuses on the character of Doctor Donald Pembrook who has been hired to help look through what remains and preserve anything important to national defense. In this process he undercovers information that contradicts everything the world had been told regarding the past space mission failures. After this discovery, he quickly finds himself amidst a government cover-up that may put his life in danger.

If you are going into this series thinking we are getting a repeat of Gideon Falls it is important to realize that is not the case. That series was drenched in a horror mystique but that is not the case here. This is more like if the X-Files was directed by David Lynch as the story progresses things become more and more surreal. Capturing that type of tone is no easy feat. It is one thing in a film to establish a surreal atmosphere when you have the aid of score and sound. Here everything is done visually and to great effect.

It is not hyperbolic to say that Andrea Sorrentino is one of today’s best artists of showing you something you have never seen before in a comic with the way he altered the landscape of his page layouts. He has taken the tools digital art gives you to create pages and panels that defy the standard comic book language. That style is vital in establishing the surreal tone mentioned above. Comfort is removed as panels turn in on themselves and lay in unique patterns. A clever way of saying a lot without one word being uttered.

Credit should also go to colorist Dave Stewart who is just as much a part of this creative team as anyone. When he colors Sorrentino’s art there is always this unique texture to the world, like there is this haze cast on the atmosphere to make the page seem just slightly otherworldly. He seems to even use the classic Ben Day process for at times that used to be the norm back when comics were primarily in news-strips. Considering this is a story that takes place it gives the page a classic look without it ever feeling dated.

Visually this book is a treat to look at, but there are a few drawbacks. Personally, when I read a first issue I am looking for a character or characters I can latch onto. Doctor Pembrook has promise but so far fits into that archetype of the desk jockey that finds himself over his head. There are small pieces that I did appreciate. How he is first mistaken for a janitor due to his race by a fellow doctor, or how it is solely because of his knowledge of the space program that he is able to uncover the secret, to begin with. Pieces are there to build on, but there is also nothing dynamic about him that helps enhance the story.

While the central mystery here will certainly compel me to read more. Clearly, space in this world is a window into another that breaks the rules of physics and known science. It is like starting with the final chapter of 2001: A Space Odyssey and seeing what comes next. I struggle with discovering what is beyond that mystery. What conflict are we hoping to see resolved? Currently, there is a lacking of personal stakes that make it more than just a general concept at this point. Of course, this is just the first step in a long journey so that can quickly change.

When you have a creative team that includes Andrea Sorrentino, Jeff Lemire, and Dave Stewart you are going to have a well-constructed comic that gives you plenty to get excited about. No question that is the case for this first issue. The economic world-building showed these creators are confident in this idea. No long exposition trying to explain everything. Just allow us to experience this world organically. Something like a small news conference to showcase how an infamous election may have turned out differently for example. Perhaps that mystery hid some of the depth of the narrative but generally Primordial #1 sets up an exciting story moving forward.

Overall Score: 3.5 out of 5

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Andrea Sorrentino
Colorist: Dave Steward
Letters and Design: Steve Wands

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Daniel Clark

A fan of all things comics. Growing up on a healthy diet of 90's Batman and X-Men cartoon series ignited a love for the medium that remains strong today.