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GALAXY-SIZED ASTOUNDING SPACE THRILLS #1
Recommended (7/10)
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Image Comics
"Happy Birthday, Argosy"
Writer/Artist: Steve Conley
"Crater Kid"
Writer/Artist: Marty Baumann
Additional Artwork: Pat Boyette
Price: $4.95 US |
Generally speaking, every issue of Astounding Space Thrills is a rare treat, so I was surprised to find this one a little disappointing. Conley plays to his strengths to some degree, with the same gorgeous artwork and the optimistic viewpoint that is Argosy Smith's stock-in-trade, but the meta commentary about heroes seems out of place and too much like stuff I've read elsewhere. Of course, Conley has an unusual take to offer, particularly when it comes to Argosy's particular blend of heroism, so while I wouldn't call this the strongest of the Astounding Space Thrills comics,
it's certainly a decent read.
What has defined Astounding Space Thrills since the beginning is a sense
of optimism and fun. That is here in spades, never feeling overly dire or dark.
Even when all of reality is threatened, you still get the sense that this is a
game for Argosy. Miraculously, while this could come off as being callous or
indifference, it instead comes off as almost supernaturally confident and
optimistic, an asset rather than a failure.
However, I did feel like
Conley was sort of beating his own drum a little with the confrontations between
Argosy and the thinly-veiled super-heroes. It honestly seemed to have missed the
point of Batman, Captain America, the Hulk and Superman in order to have Argosy
look good in comparison. Rather than pointing out the legitimate failures of
corporate-owned characters, Conley provides characters with only a superficial
resemblance to the icons whose failings don't have anything to do with the icons
themselves. This doesn't mean I didn't find the use of the word "banner" clever,
or Argosy's solution to "how do I choose my friends" any less interesting, but I
did think a little more work on the adversaries would have benefited the book.
One area where Astounding Space Thrills has never disappointed is in
the artwork, particularly since it made the switch over to color. Conley's
colors are simply gorgeous, and his vision of the characters and their universe
simple and elegant in their designs. His work is informed by a golden age
science-fiction aesthetic, and he has made that look really work for him without
seeming overly retro.
The book is closed out by the
usual work of Marty Baumann, whose "Crater Kid" feature is a fun throwback as
well. This time out, "Crater Kid" is a framing device for a story featuring
artwork by Pat Boyette. I'm told he's a Silver Age legend, but I'm embarrassed
to admit I hadn't heard of him. However, I can see where he got his legendary
status, as his work is beautiful and really captures the "space military" feel
of the backup strip.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
