With so many comic book pundits heralding the seemingly
inevitable collapse of the industry (any day now, some of
them seem to believe), it's easy to overlook the fact that
there is groundbreaking work being done in the field of
sequential art. Case in point: Steve Conley's Astounding
Space Thrills.
Found on-line as well as in
comic book stores, Conley's strip conveys the exploits of
young genius/adventurer Argosy Smith, and his faithful
sidekick, Human turned protoplasmic life form, Theremin.
They reside on a future earth, where, as a result of the
Milky Way galaxy entering a new region of space with far
different laws of physics, our good planet has been given
a second chance after hitting the bottom of a cultural
decline.
Argosy's world is one of fast-paced sci-fi action,
somewhat reminiscent of comic book stories done in the
'50's, but with it's own flair and sense of originality.
Conley's clean, cartoony art style perfectly compliments
the book's fun attitude. The high-octane adventure is
matched only by the tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Argosy's
genius.
A statement made by Argosy to
Theremin while under attack by enemy aliens is a good
example:
"Assuming you're right
about the aliens' weapon having an empathic charge, if
we've got duct tape and elbow macaroni on board, I can rig
a space suit to block the effect."
This is a comic that doesn't
take itself too seriously.
Suggested reading, just to get
a handle on the characters and their world, is "The
Shift," which can be found in the archives of the
website, www.astoundingspacethrills.com.
Check it out.
Two comic book series have
been released; a three-issue story, published by Day One
Comics, and a four-issue story from Image Comics. The
Image issues will probably be easier to find at comic
shops than the first three. All issues, however, can be
found by visiting the online store at the A.S.T. website.
To find your local comic shop, dial 1-888-comicbook.
Astounding Space Thrills is
published by Image Comics. It is 32 pages and priced at
$2.95.
Review by Mark Allen
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