Big ideas, crazy detailed visuals, and a strong female protagonist? Damn, issue #1 was great, but how is #2? Is it good?
Satellite Falling #2 (IDW Publishing)
The official IDW summary reads:
It’s life or death for Lilly as the sting operation she never wanted goes horribly wrong. What’s a taxi driver-slash-bounty hunter to do? Steal a car, of course!
Why does this book matter?
The first issue introduced Lilly as a tough heroic type who’s willing to skirt the law if it means making coin or doing the right thing. We also learned her lost lover is missing – or maybe dead – and she’s a bit messed up over it. She lives on a Satellite with a mix of aliens and quite a lot of things going against her.
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Steve Horton delivers one hell of an action packed issue. Last issue put Lilly between a rock and a hard place and now she needs to get her ass out of it. This issue is essentially one long escape and chase sequence, but fear not — there’s a huge reveal near the end that will spin your head. The action is done well in this issue – in part because there’s some neat science fiction methods of getting away – but Lilly must use her cunning to get out of them too. Horton manages to stick a few interesting details in too – like how you can’t use a hologram disguise to break into a car since you need fine motor skills.
That first panel is pretty comical.
Since this is an action/chase sort of issue a lot rides on the artist getting it right. I think Stephen Thompson does it right. Blasters look great, invisibility works, and laser nets will make your jaw drop. I seriously can’t say more about that without spoiling things! Once again a smorgasbord of aliens are on display and they look unique, weird, and downright realistic. Thompson brings a lot of detail to each panel, and an architectural style to the surroundings too, which is quite pleasing on the eye. The chase sequence, once it gets outdoors, is quite fun and reminds me of The Fifth Element with the endless streams of chaotic, airborne traffic. The most important element, what characters are thinking and feeling, is on display too due to Thompson’s keen eye for expressions. Bottom line: Science fiction works wonders when it looks this damn clean.
It can’t be perfect can it?
Well, since this is an action-centric issue we don’t get quite as much plot development as the last issue. Nor do we get inside Lilly’s head all that much, but we do go on a wild ride and see how damn heroic Lilly is, which you can’t get in exposition alone.
Dude wait!
Is It Good?
This is science fiction fun with a lot of action, cool ideas, and expressive interesting characters on display. If you love Fifth Element you owe yourself to read this comic.
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