A comiXologist Recommends…
Mike Isenberg recommends:

Descender #1

You know what we don’t get nearly enough of in comics these days?  Old fashioned space opera; with robots and aliens and galactic intrigue and the whole nine yards.  You know what else we need more of?  Gorgeous watercolor illustrations.

If you find yourself agreeing with these statements, then please let me direct your attention to Descender #1, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen.  And with its compelling story set in a well-fleshed-out far-future sci-fi setting illustrated with beautiful watercolors, Descender is definitely worthy of your attention.

Ten years in the past, gigantic robots appeared in the sky above each of the nine homeworlds of the United Galactic Council, unleashing a devastating attack on the galaxy’s population before mysteriously vanishing without a trace.  Now, on a derelict mining colony on the edge of the galaxy, a young android boy has awoken confused from a decade-long sleep, to find a world that is more than a little hostile towards all things robotic.

Lemire and Nguyen have done a wonderful job in issue #1 of introducing the setting and the characters, while still making room for a good number of character moments and plenty of mood-building and suspense.  There’s a tense mystery at play here (what exactly is android Tim-21’s connection to the giant death robots?) but also a lot of heart.  And Nguyen’s painted illustrations are not to be missed.

This is definitely a series to keep an eye on.  Can’t wait to see where it’ll be going from here.

[Read Descender #1 on comiXology]

Mike Isenberg is an Associate Production Coordinator at comiXology, and the co-writer of First Law Of Mad Science.  He lives in Harlem with his cats, Tesla and Edison.