A young girl heads to the center of the universe to compete in a reality show to become the next “Space Scout.” What starts as a teenage drama turns into deadly war at the edge of the universe as the “winning” recruits are sent into a clandestine interminable battle that they most likely won’t survive. Space Scouts #1 is an interesting start that feels self-aware and attempting to deliver something more than its familiar concepts would tease.
Written by Matt Kindt, Space Scouts #1 is a solid start to the series though overall it’s something we’ve seen before. But, the comic is well aware of that, addressing it all as the story progresses. Early on, the comic refers to its own concept as a cliché of the hero’s journey
Ember is the hope for her planet. She has abilities and has been entered into a contest to join the Space Scouts. Her planet, and her family, also get elevated in numerous ways. There’s a lot riding on her shoulders. The problem is, she doesn’t want it to be like that, she wants to forge her own path.
But, Kindt twists things up a little taking us quickly through the first challenges and whitling it down to the final 10 contestants. Where the comic easily could have been Ember against other contestants that would have been a major challenge, Kindt has Ember changing her attitude and figuring out she can manipulate the game in ways to up her odds. It’s an interesting direction and an unexpected one that took the comic from familiar, to something new and interesting.
David Rubín‘s art is solid. The characters, settings, everything, is varied and interesting to look at, every detail telling a little bit of the story. The comic has a feel in many ways like something Mike Allred would have done, and I found myself checking the credits to make sure it wasn’t him. Kindt doesn’t take time to really explain the characters and world, so it lands on the art to fill in those gaps and it does an excellent job in doing so. The comic’s visuals pop in interesting ways giving a solid sci-fi feel with a little wink and nod thrown about.
Space Scouts #1 is a solid debut that has me intrigued to see where it goes and what comes next. There’s a solid look and feel to it all and the comic teases readers it’s more than what’s presented, there’s something else going on here than just a contest. It’s Kindt and Rubín, so it’s not too surprising the comic is a solid debut. It’s definitely a debut that’s well worth checking out.
Story: Matt Kindt Art: David Rubín
Color: David Rubín Letterer: David Rubín
Story: 8.35 Art: 8.35 Overall: 8.35 Recommendation: Buy
Dark Horse provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
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