Meet Sarah, an astronaut traveling from dead planet to dead planet, talking to the ghosts of dead worlds… as she fights to discover the secret that’s killing the universe. But Death doesn’t give up its secrets so easily, and as she’s hunted from planet to planet, Sarah struggles to maintain the trust of her crew and her own sanity in the endless ocean of lives. Every world has a story, and if she can find the secret tying them all together, she can save Earth from being the next world to die.
From JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! and GROOT writer Jeff Loveness and AMERICAN MONSTER and ANIMOSITY: THE RISE artist Juan Doe, comes the chilling, epic new series that will be sure to appeal to fans of ARRIVAL, INTERSTELLAR and THE EXPANSE.
Writing
The power of talking to the dead isn’t an original idea. Now an astronaut being able to talk with ancient lost civilizations is a unique one. This is the concept presented in this new series and it succeeds in being a very fascinating idea to keep the audience intrigued. There is a lot of emphasis on allowing the art tell the story of what is happening instead of having it spelled out through dialogue boxes. It’s a interesting approach and pays off pretty well here by showcasing what happened to a lost society and an impending danger is looming in the future. The issues triumphs in introducing what it’s about and where it will go from here.
It’s not without a few flaws though. The first issue opens the series on a slow start. Little is revealed about about Sarah other than she has the ability to talk with the dead and her captain hates her. She is portrayed as an intriguing character though who does come off as caring and curious about the worlds she is researching. Writer Jeff Loveness succeeds in presenting a new galaxy to explore but needs to work on flushing out the characters more from here on out.
Artwork
If you’re going to rely on the art to tell part of the story, then you have to make sure the artist is able to bring some high caliber work. Luckily, artist Juan Doe presents some striking art which helps to make the book such an appealing read. There is a lots of great visual effects through the issue to showcase Sarah’s mental explorations into the planet’s past. The one page splash introducing the series villain is very striking and menacing in a way which leaves a great impression.
Conclusion
A slow start, but it introduces a distinct concept, stylized colors, and shading which makes it a very pleasant read. It’s a successful first issue – something which is a rare feat. Comic fans will want to be on the lookout for more World Reader in the future.
