Review: Outer Darkness #2

John Layman and Afu Chan have crafted a compelling mash-up of a spooky space universe in Skybound/Image“s Outer Darkness. In the second issue of the ongoing series – “Each Other“s Throats, Part 2”“ ”“ the Charon, an “advanced retrieval vessel”“ is speeding through space on a recovery mission for an unknown entity. This mystery is just another attribute of the story“s nod to the spirit of the best mashed up texts of our time. Outer Darkness pitches itself at the intersections of the horror and space genres, but Layman and Chan are not afraid of blurring the lines of genre with other literary categories. The result is a visually intriguing and engaging read that embodies what is best about space exploration ”“ a courageous (and at times reckless) pursuit to discover the unknown.

Joshua Rigg is the captain of the Charon, and in this issue readers will get to learn a little bit more about his irreverent character. In a meeting with his senior staff he informs them all that he has little information about who they are rescuing. Information amongst the staff of the Charon ”“ much like information about this story itself ”“ is on a need to know basis. He also explains to them that he detests drills. And in lieu of testing his staff with a known safety net he has decided to plunge them directly into a life-threatening set of situations. He then calmly explains that they entered the dangerous Damalu system fifteen minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Then, of course, all hell breaks loose.

Every panel of Outer Darkness is informed with a cinematic aesthetic, featuring a combination of close-ups, wide shots and splash pages that will dazzle readers and summon calls of the series to be adapted to animation and/or film. Only time will tell how/if that mystery is resolved ”“ or optioned, but OD“s unabashed cinematic style makes for a great comic book right now. Afu Chan is an extraordinary artist. He doesn“t waste any lines and his pencils can alternate between static and kinetic effortlessly. The art gives the book a bona fide galactic appeal ”“ even when you“re staring into the hard eyes of Captain Rigg as he readies his crew for a deliberate descent into what“s known as the outer darkness ”“ the farthest and most unknowable reaches of space. As a bonus feature, Chan pens a note as a coda to this issue. In it, he details his creative influences and his deliberate delineation of the Outer Darkness world ”“ replete with cues to and from anime, cinema and animation. At least this one mystery is solved for readers early on, but his revelations of craft will only keep us coming back for more. 4.25/5.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) John Layman (A/CA) Afu Chan