All of these comics are creator owned, being distributed through bigger companies. This has potential to be awesome! Some of the best comic series that I’ve ever read were creator owned series such as this! I already reviewed Saucer Country number 1, so in this review I’ll be talking about how the series has progressed. Super Crooks was also super sold out when I went back for it, so I may get to that at a later date. But for now, I’m going to list my thoughts on these four books from least favorite to favorite. Keep in mind this is just opinion and first impressions. I’ll also give a bit of background on each book.
1.Secret by Jonathan Hickman. The moment I saw this comic's demented cover, I HAD to pick it up. Just look at it.
From the guy that has evidently written the best run on Fantastic Four in a long time (So sayeth the critics that aren’t me), a cover like this is not something I really expected. But holy crap, it gave me hope for this being something terrifying and fantastic!! Plus, it’s coming from Image Comics, an industry that’s really started to take a stand against DC and Marvel!
The comic starts with a rich guy getting woken up by a masked man who wants information. He proceeds to rip out one of his teeth with a pair of pliers. The first few pages were quite good! Yet, the rest of the comic was spent inside offices and board rooms as people discussed businesses, firewalls, money, and security firms. It was quite dull for a comic that started with such an awesome bang. Hopefully the series picks back up and doesn’t descend into dull politics. Otherwise, I’ll be dropping it quick.
Also, I have to mention the odd coloring style. It’s not bad but just….odd. I really can’t describe it, so here’s a picture.
2.Saucer Country by Paul Cornell. I really enjoyed the first issue of this and was already thinking that this series would take its place alongside other Vertigo titles that I love and adore. The second issue of this political/sci-fi thriller picks up right after Arcadia tells her people about the whole alien thing. And it sort of stagnates from there. This comic mostly felt like filler and didn’t give a lot to advance the overall plot. I still have high hopes for the next few issues but if it continues downhill, I’ll drop it. Did you not understand anything I was talking about? Check out my review of the first issue! Somewhere below! Scroll down
3.The Secret Service comes from the new Millarworld label and is written by Mark Millar (Kickass, Nemesis, etc) and Dave “I drew Watchmen” Gibbons. This is some sort of dream team. I read in an interview that Mark Millar dreamed of writing comics as a teen with Dave Gibbons as his artist. So awesome for him for living out his fantasy! But how does this comic start out? By dropping Mark Hamill off a cliff to his death. Seriously.
The comic goes on to reveal that Mark wasn’t the only person to be abducted. We’re told that six cast members from Star Wars, four from Doctor Who, eight from Battlestar Galactica, and five from the original Star Trek have all been abducted. Is this comic trying to kill my sci-fi filled childhood? Either way, the crazy meta-fictional kidnapping aren’t even the main plot of the story!
A trouble making teenager named Gary steals a car, wrecks it, and ends up in jail. His uncle comes to bail him out. The audience (but not Gary) knows that Uncle Jack is a freaking secret agent that’s been tasked with retrieving the Sci-fi stars. The comic ends with Uncle Jack making a call about secret agent training as he watches his nephew.
While this may not sound like a lot, plot wise, this comic was pretty stellar. The art was top notch and the dialogue felt very real. It was filled with slang that I can only assume actually Brits use and banal conversation topics. I’m really looking forward to see how this series goes because the potential seems quite high.
4.Saga by Brian K. Vaughan. I had no idea how good this little gem from Image Comics was going to be. I got to the comic store at noon when the first issue came out and it was already sold out. Having just read the first two issues back to back, I see why. BKV is a master of his craft and I am already sure that this comic will be held in esteem with his other masterpieces ( Y: The Last Man, The Runaways, and Ex Machina).
The best way I can describe this series is that it’s a bit like Star Wars. It’s a strange universe that’s filled with various planets, races, alliances, history, and all sorts of other things. But instead of giving the audience a long scroll of text to explain everything at the start, the reader is just dropped into the middle of the action.
The book begins with a winged woman giving birth. Her husband (a man with antlers that use to be some great warrior; now refuses to draw his blade) is there to deliver the child. But as soon as they cut the umbilical cord (with his teeth. Screw swords), the intergalactic military is bearing down on the literal star crossed lovers from two different worlds as they go on the run with their daughter.
The narration (done by the daughter, grown up) tells the story of an intergalactic civil war that has infected every inch of the galaxy. And somehow, these two deserters become the center of it as both sides and freelancers hunt them down. Plus, there’s robot porn. Not joking. And not putting a picture up.
Plus, there was this quote: “I once saw a pack of them rip a man’s spine out through his urethra. That’s NOT an exaggeration. I saw.”
Awesome. Seriously, get this comic. With two issues, it’s already proved to be miles above anything else coming out these days.
That’s it! This “conspiracy” is actually a very awesome thing. More non superhero comic titles need to hit the shelves. It can easily help expand the fandom!! Hope you can find your way to the local shops to pick up some of these!
Alright, one more plug. If you liked this article, you should do me a solid and follow me on twitter.
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