Nearly nine months ago the third issue of Satellite Falling dropped and it was another great issue in this series. Then nothing. Long delays can hurt the momentum of a series, but that doesn’t mean we can’t give the issues a fair shake once they’re here. After a huge drought issue #4 is finally out this week; is it good?
Writer: Steve Horton
Artist: Stephen Thompson, Austin Janowsky
Publisher: IDW Publishing
So what’s it about?
The official summary reads:
In the wake of last issue’s shocking death, Lilly and her team of aliens must infiltrate the enemy ship with one goal in mind: find Eva!
Why does this book matter?
In Steve Horton I trust after the first few issues of this book, and also his fantastic Amala’s Blade. This series has a rich science fiction world, a compelling story about illegal aliens and a lot of action. Stephen Thompson’s art gives the series a realistic look and feel that sets it apart too. Bring it on!
Fine, you have my attention. What’s good about it?
Why the tear?
The heroes man battle stations in this issue as a space battle rages on. Horton mixes Lilly’s personal mission with a bigger one well here, and her team of Ocean’s 11 style experts come to fight. This is certainly a climactic sort of affair as they fight for answers and the truth. The best scene involves Lilly and an ex-lover which raises interesting points about their relationship, but also a bigger threat entirely. My favorite scene involves Lilly helping fashion a cure and though she wants to tear away to fight she can’t. It’s a unique moment I can’t say I’ve seen a hero forced into before and it creates a bit of tension that helps bridge to the final scene.
Stephen Thompson’s pencils continue to be fantastic. Thompson pencils the first 14 pages, which continue to render the aliens and spaceships in high detail and sharp fashion. The dynamic angles help raise the tension pre-battle and the battle scenes are just as dynamic.
Aim and…
It can’t be perfect can it?
Unfortunately I can’t say the last six pages are as sharp as the first 14. Austin Janowsky takes over on inks, but the detail in Thompson’s work drops considerably which is jarring. Lilly’s face isn’t consistent in these last pages, and the art is blocked in such a simplistic way that the action feels flat. It doesn’t help that there’s no explanation how the bad guy gets a drop on Lilly’s lover. The issue ends in a rush of sorts, which deflates the action and the cliffhanger.
Is It Good?
Some fun twists, compelling action sequence buildups and character moments make this another good issue in the series. Unfortunately the last few pages change in artist jarringly and these pages rush to a conclusion that feels flat.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
