As PROMISED The Burning Mind is back and returns with my thoughts on:
Sea of Stars #1
Publisher: IMAGE COMICS
Writers: Jason Aaron & Dennis Hallum
Artist: Stephen Green
Colorist: Rico Renzi
Letters & Design: Jared K Fletcher
Editor: Will Dennis
If nothing else Sea of Stars is another in Image’s long and deep line of sci-fi/space fantasy, with what feels like an ‘80’s style vibe to them. I love that. It feels like a story that could have produced by Charles Band or Roger Corman once-upon-a-time.
That I love.
Sea of Stars is about a long-haul Space Trucker and his acting-out young, misses his mother son who get separated when their ship is torn apart by an unknown, giant space creature and the father is swallowed whole!
Yes, you read that right!
Somehow the son gains the ability to breathe and survive in open space, while the father – having somehow survived being swallowed – begins a desperate search for his son.
I’m going to get right to my favorite thing about Sea of Stars – the #$% $#%^ awesome coloring. Yes, the best thing in this title is Rico Renzi’s coloring – and that is saying a lot because the art and inks are top notch too. But the coloring puts this issue over for me.
The issue is fast-paced, full of emotion, rife with danger, a few weird moments and even a what-the (???) reveal. Renzi’s coloring follows through on every story point and showcases what the characters feel in his coloring, and makes the already stellar art come alive even more.
Stephen Green delivers with excellent art that really lays out the story and showcases its intensity right off the bat. Yet, even when the story gets intense and action packed, Green’s art is clear and easy to follow.
If there is any part of this issue that lags it’s the story. It does what it needs to, to get the story going and set up what is to come. The structure of the issue is good, dialog is nice and there is – thank you – a sense of urgency when things go wrong.
The problem is, it feels sorta been-there-done-that. There is the twist that somehow Kayden, the young son, finds he can survive in space, so that needs to be where the story has to go.
Over all this is a solid first issue and very fast paced start to Sea of Stars, and I love the urgency ingrained in the story, even if it does follow the motions somewhat. A sense of urgency is what is missing from most stories now days, so that is welcome.
Of course I have to mention the coloring again. Rico Renzi’s coloring rocks Sea of Stars.
As I wrote this my thoughts on Sea of Stars actually improved. I don’t think Sea of Stars #1 is quite required reading, but I think it’s a title people need to check out. In the end it stayed with me more than I thought.
RATING: 6.5
