Review: Beyond the Beyond #1 (of 4)

Space, the final….. hell you know the rest right? Scout Comics are taking the diverse publishing profiles out into the far future and deep space to boot. A new world of sorts, complicated by the misses of the past and the reduction of the dreams of the future; at least for most!

Nova Vega is a tad rebellious. With her future planned out fro like a winsome Springsteen song, Nova decides that now is the time to follow her parents steps and explore Beyond the Beyond. Yet living in an oppressive state, with its drone like army may not want to release her to her chosen fate.

Writer Christian Tropeano has created a kind of world we have seen before. A totalitarian environment where individual dreams are supplanted with the need to serve the greater good, policed by a uniform if not uniformed army. In Nova, we have the usual teen unsatisfied with her life, at war with her conforming brother, and seemingly challenged by the ghosts of their parents. Tropeano spends time setting the table, possibly too much time. I understand that there is a need to get the reader to buy into both world and Nova’s place in it, but with only four issues, I worry about the lack of a clear conclusion. The dialogue is fine, it serves the purpose of introducing the characters and their motives. There is a huge contrivance towards the end of this issue, though Tropeano looks to add a little uncertainty into the mix.

The art is supplied by Gian Fernando who utilises a mix of crisp lines and heavy detailed backgrounds to deliver an environment that fits the idea of far future. The drone’s are creepy, with their singular ocular device that sees all. Nova is well realised for the most part, as is her brother. Fernando mixes up the environs well, giving the book an interesting contrast. Appropriately enough, the colors are provided by Beyond Colorlab. I love the scheme on the first and third act, with the middle act becoming quite unvarying. Joel Rodriguez uses a couple of fonts to emphasise the situations that Nova find herself in, along with an almost satirical interview.

I have to say that calling a book Beyond the Beyond, yet featuring a stymied society that features a runaway from said society. It’s like a planet that the Enterprise came across mixed with Logan’s Run.

Writing – 3 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Colors – 3 Stars

Overall – 3 Stars

Written by; Christian Tropeano
Art by; Gian Fernando
Colors by; Beyond Colorlab
Letters by; Joel Rodriguez
Published by; Scout Comics

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network