Review: Skyward TPB Vol. 1

Imagine being able to fly but still feeling trapped. That is the core conundrum that Willa, the lovable protagonist from Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett“s Skyward, initially faces in Image Comics“ ongoing series. In the world of Skyward, G-Day is a cataclysmic event where for some reason the earth loses the force of gravity. An apocalypse ensues. The Skyward TPB (Vol. One) collects the first five issues and although the story is riveting as a serial read, the collection somehow presents a more compelling portrait of what our world would feel like without the omnipresent force of gravity.

Comic book readers and fans of longstanding series have probably become immune to the various ways in which a particular title exploits its “franchise”“ in order to sustain and cultivate the narrative over long periods of times ”“ decades in the case of the “Big Two“s”“ most enduring comics. Henderson has an intuitive appreciation for this phenomenon and he plays on it in various and intricate ways. Throughout the first five issues/the TPB“s first volume, we are reminded of the science of gravity and pointed to a range of phenomena that would be remarkably different/distinct in a world without gravity. No spoilers here, but Skyward is often at its most engaging when we encounter simple things ”“ like inclement weather or insects ”“ in this new gravity-less world.

Garbett“s artwork is also remarkable in that it never allows the reader to lose sight of or feel the expansiveness of a world where everyone and everything floats ”“ unless otherwise grounded through technology or physical force. The visual airiness of Skyward is an extraordinary effect ”“ outstripped only by the visual horror of how people might die in this world ”“ by simply floating up, up, and away. This horror resides at the core of the most significant relationship in this arc of the story: the relationship between Willa and her father ”“ who has been mortified by the events of G-Day and refuses to leave their tiny apartment.

Reviewers sound like broken records when we say the following, but it still holds true: the best comic books capture the complexities of human relationships and human interaction. Skyward, Vol. One hones in on the understated depth of the relationship between Willa and her Dad. Willa doesn“t have any super powers ”“ she just has the strength of her undeniable will to live and to explore and to be free. These attributes put her at odds with her father but they are not foils or foes. They love each other dearly and it is that love ”“ between a daughter and her father ”“ that animates this brilliant, innovative series. 4.5/5

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(W) Joe Henderson (A/CA) Lee Garbett