Space Bastards #1
- WRITER
- Joe Aubrey, Eric Peterson
- Artist
- Darick Robertson
- Letterer
- Simon Bowland
- Cover Artist
- Diego Rodriguez, Darick Robertson
- Publisher
- Humanoids
- Price
- 5.99
- Release Date
- 2021-01-13
- Colorist
- Diego Rodriguez
Many a comic book series has crafted its own badass take on the tried and true science fiction, with hardened figures cruising the cosmos for explosive thrills. The latest Humanoids series Space Bastards launches with an oversized debut issue that hits the ground running, delivering many of these established archetypes in an unflinchingly violent adventure that eventually subverts expectations of where the story will go next and other common tropes within the sci-fi genre to set the stage what is shaping up to be a fun, self-aware exploration of the genre and its well-worn elements in a new and exciting way.
In the future of Space Bastards, the most unapologetically badass occupation in the cosmos isn't bounty hunters, space marines, or law enforcement officials but the Intergalactic Postal Service (IPS). And with unemployment running dangerously high across the stars and only the courier that completes deliveries, IPS couriers are constantly trying violently upstage one another to seize each other's parcels and complete their tasks. And as the ensemble of backstabbing messengers learn that a rival corporation might upend their operation, the couriers must set aside their differences and work together if they want to preserve their way of life against the common threat.
Writers and co-creators Eric Peterson and Joe Aubrey create a main character very much in the Lobo mold; an unrepentant meathead, complete with the stereotypical biker mustache, muscular physique and penchant for extreme violence. The opening issue to this planned, seven-part story has all the trappings of a space biker story: Sleazy locales and seedy looking characters, hard-hitting action sequences; all the hallmarks of a dangerous, backwater vision of the universe are on full display here. And yet, Peterson and Aubrey aren't presenting a typical sci-fi tale at face value and by this debut issue's end, that becomes abundantly clear as the creative team gradually shows more of their hand.
The real draw here is superstar artist and co-creator Darick Robertson (The Boys) handling pencils and inks, with frequent collaborator Diego Rodriguez on colors. Robertson's linework is some of his cleanest and gorgeously rendered in recent memory and he works well with Rodriguez to craft a dystopian look at the future where violence and underhandedness win out as the dominant "bargaining" chips in the future. The action is right in Robertson's wheelhouse, tinged in dark humor at the sheer ridiculousness of the brutality unfolding on the page, while the garish, leering characters could give Billy Butcher a run for his money. And while Robertson may be known primarily for grounded, gritty superhero fare, he makes the leap to science fiction effortlessly, lending a lived-in, realistic look at cosmic environments and extraterrestrials that would be right at home at an underground punk rock show.
A celebration of cosmic badasses and deathmatch style dystopian adventures, Space Bastards provides plenty of thrills in its oversized page count to entertain those looking for a conventional sci-fi comic book. However, the creative team isn't delivering a paint by numbers sci-fi comic but something that cheekily points out and goodnaturedly deflates some of the elements of the genre and its popular archetypes while weaving in some sly, subtle social commentary as the couriers of the IPS are introduced while defending their positions as the most deadly, competitive jobs in the cosmos. If you're a fan of The Boys, Space Bastards definitely is a sci-fi heir apparent and is quickly shaping up to be a good time.