Mark Millar has unleashed his latest comic book series upon us. Space Bandits is a sci-fi adventure focusing on a couple space-faring scoundrels with art by Matteo Scalera and color by Marcelo Maiolo.
While there has been many sci-fi stories featuring con artist type characters, Millar mixes things up a little by having women as the lead characters. This makes the book stand apart from the plethora of similar space tales we’ve seen time and time again. We don’t constantly need stories that mainly focus on white dudes or even white dude-looking aliens.
With the first issue, we are introduced to Cody Blue and Thena Khole. The two characters are shown separately carrying on their illicit schemes along with their partners or crew. We get a good look at what they are capable of and how they go about carving out their little corners of space. The two are unknown to each other, but circumstances will soon give them the opportunity to become allies.
It won’t be money that drives Cody and Thena once they inevitably join forces. Betrayal will be their common bond. This is something that anyone can experience despite gender or planet of origin. Both characters are extremely cunning and skilled, but unfortunately they fall victim to being betrayed by partners they thought they could trust. Seeking out revenge is always a great motivating factor for characters in action stories.
The visuals in the book are top notch. Scalera’s art and Maiolo’s colors are breathtaking. I often struggle with sci-fi comics because the visuals often come across as too flat. The combination of the art and color here fleshes out this new comic book world/universe we get to gaze upon. It’s the perfect blend of detail and expression brought to life with a colorful palette.
The notion of space pirates and crews with a questionable loyalty isn’t necessarily a brand new concept. Millar takes the right approach by introducing the two characters separately. Seeing where they come from and how exactly they were betrayed allows readers to become more invested in their journey. We may not fully see everything they are able to do, but once they join forces you can bet the two are definitely going to blow $#%& up. When it comes to Millar’s writing, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected.
Space Bandits #1 is a new title that is definitely worth checking out. So many of today’s comics are simply variants of the same characters or tie-ins to the the current “big” story. It’s always refreshing to be able to dive into a new series without having to worry about whatever may have happened during the last month or decade. The creative team of Mark Millar, Matteo Scalera, and Marcelo Maiolo alone is worth the price of admission. The fact we are introduced to some cool new characters and a story that leaves you wanting more is a bonus.
What the Heck is going on?!? 