“Come in shuttle 34 your time is up!”, is a phrase that jumps into my head during the opening panels. It seems that Cee, the pilot, is running late again, which apparently is never her fault. But no sooner do the words “cleared for departure” are transmitted, the shuttle is practically catapulted into an oversized dimension, where this ragtag crew have to learn to work together in an effort to survive.
Writer Richard Mo has certainly crashed the Vault for elements of this story. A sick boy, a synth-oid, discrimination and of course Land of the Giants. Truth be told, this isn’t the most original book in any shape way or form. I could write a litany of the influences on show. That said, the recognisable elements are told in such a way that would be fun and enjoyable, if I hadn’t seen it a million times before. If this is your first “massive problems / tiny people” story you may well get a kick out of if, such is the strength of the writing.
The art is supplied by Alberto Muriel who eschews dynamism for a more straight edge approach. Character’s facee remain pretty recognisable and consistent for the most part, even if Cee looks like the three mouth singer from the original Battlestar Galactica pilot. Muriel is adept at change camera angle as the action moves from the safety of the shuttle into a number of size related problems. With the focus on the environment, Muriel tries hard not to let any perception problems occur and to some extent does well. The colors by Amaya Diaz are a washed out affair, to give the new environment a “not quite ours” feel as Diaz tries to engender the same sort of reaction for the readers as the characters may feel in their new home.
There are parts in this book that did grab my attention; initially I thought the demise of the nun was going to lead into a metaphor about religion, In the hand, it seems just happenstance sent her on her way. Despite the number of influences inherent in this book, I feel the Mo could have wrung some originality out of this mash-up of used and re-cycled ideas.
Writing – 2 Stars
Art – 3 Stars
Colors – 3 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Author Profile
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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
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