There’s a benefit of telling a story in comics versus a movie and/or television series, wherein you can present truly lofty ideas without the need for an outrageous budget. Series like Saga, Black Science, Radiant Black, and many others in the Image Comics’ roster are prime examples, with the publisher’s newest series Remote Space fitting the bill, as well. With it’s mind-bending concept from creator Cliff Rathburn, does this alternate take on Earth’s future manage to convey a compelling story along with its heady concept?
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Remote Space presents a narrative of our planet’s future, as elements such as starvation, climate change, and war have made the planet uninhabitable. In order for humanity to survive, two separate paths are carved out for our species. The first involves leaving the world and relying on technological advancements to bolster the species, while the second involves creating a new form of life using eugenics and gene splicing to transform mankind into terrifying, hardly-human new forms. Readers witness a life-and-death battle between the two factions while introducing us to protagonists Lola and Seth Version 12. Meanwhile, a mysterious being known as Zoe is getting her own plan underway in this bizarre universe.
Remote Space has a unique benefit that many other comics on the market don’t, wherein the series premiere is largely handled by a single creator, Cliff Rathburn. This works well in translating the heady characters and scenarios that compose this future Earth, as Rathburn clearly has an intricate knowledge of what he is looking to do in this setting. Where Remote Space stumbles is in setting up the premise via (a lot of) exposition, which is an element I feel is always difficult for creators to bypass. In this issue many moving pieces need to be explained in the opening pages and they’re certainly fleshed out, but there could be a more clever way to do so over the wordy “info dump.”
Luckily, this minor quibble doesn’t hinder the overall reading experience. Rathburn’s art is the highlight of this comic, as the creator truly blends the images from his mind and intricately, beautifully brings them to the printed page. The battles themselves feel fast, energetic, and have a serious manga-appeal to them. The “speed lines” specifically work well in conveying both the power and speed of blows, while incorporating larger-than-life characters to sweeten the pot.
Rathburn also has an excellent handle on the two sides of this new war, capturing the intricacy of this advanced technology being used along with the grotesque nature of the eugenic monstrosities who survived a nuclear apocalypse. The creator makes amazing use of each panel, often working beyond them to draw a feast for the eyes. A benefit of Rathburn working on the writing and art is that he is able to make the extraordinary feel mundane, especially through the eyes of Lola and Seth. It works well in conveying this universe’s enormity at a personal scale.
There’s an exceptional amount of world-building in Remote Space #1, but it feels necessary to present this sprawling story. Hopefully, as the series marches forward, readers will get more character work with the likes of Seth, Zoe, and Lola. As it stands, the preliminary offering is a worthwhile one, presenting plenty of juicy bread crumbs to scarf down in the lead-up to future conflicts. Remote Space is a feast for the eyes and here’s hoping that it can hammer out some kinks to make it one of the best Image Comics on the market, as it’s already reaching for that accolade.
Published by Image Comics
On June 12, 2024
Written by Cliff Rathburn
Art by Cliff Rathburn
Colors by Cliff Rathburn
Letters by Cliff Rathburn
Cover by Cliff Rathburn and Ryan Ottley
