Crash-landed on an alien planet, emotional support animals decked out in mech gear, Athos, Porthos, and Lovey venture off to rescue their owner, Doc, and the other humans on their former spaceship. With Athos struggling to become a leader as conflict arises in the group, the three pets need to work together to survive against the dangerous threats and save Doc. As the planet becomes stranger and more dangerous, Pornsak Pichetshote and Jesse Lonergan continue to hit the emotional interstellar high notes in Man’s Best #2.
Athos, Porthos, and Lovey are still great characters to follow, mainly due to Pichetshote giving them complex emotional relationships as a group. Each of the animals has their strengths, flaws, and personalities, contributing to their team conflicts. Whether it be Athos needing to take charge as the leader, Porthos learning to listen, or Lovey controlling his anger, all come across as highly human and ground the reader to their adventure. While the physical goal may be to rescue Doc and the surviving humans, the internal goal lies in them overcoming their differences to become a unit and reflect the best qualities of humanity on the survivors. Instead of following the three pets learning humanity, it instead becomes about them losing their negative human traits and becoming a mirror for humans to look towards.
And the scope of this alien world has also been greatly expanded. Outside of the robotic klangers, readers are introduced to the more unique ecology that greets the three pets. With metallic surrounded by lava oceans or grassy forests filled with predatory tiny aliens, anything on the planet could quickly kill one of them. The dangerous nature of the world not only contributes to the journey’s stakes but presents obstacles they need to overcome as a team. Again, the planet exists as genuinely alien, which feels quite different from other settings in science fiction. It comes across as a horrifying forest dream in some parts and, in others, an industrial nightmare.
Lonergan delivers another incredible-looking issue as he navigates, drawing the pets as adorable with the diverse biomes of an alien planet and the life that lives on it. It is cohesive and feels in the right place despite the wide variety of settings and creatures he needs to draw. With his paneling, he captures the tone and mood of the different scenes, including different panel sizes and layouts for a page to capture the chaotic and dangerous energy of the pets escaping from a klanger. Man’s Best #2 has some incredible visible vibes, along with his mesmerizing coloring and Jeff Powell’s fantastic lettering.
Pichetshote and Lonergan further develop the world of Man’s Best #2 in engaging and fascinating ways while further exploring the emotional bonds of the pets on a deeper level. Their journey for survival involves tackling the planet’s dangerous threats, operating as a team, and connecting. Athos, Porthos, and Lovey are still some of the cutest animals in current comics, and you cannot help but fall in love.
Story: Pornsak Pichetshote Art/Colors: Jesse Lonergan Letterer: Jeff Powell
Story: 9.2 Art: 9.2 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Read
BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: Zeus Comics – Kindle
Source: Graphic Policy
