Brian Azzarello's Spaceman a new mini-series from Vertigo

Set in a post-apocalyptic near future, SPACEMAN tells the story of Orson, a hulking, lonely loser who spends his days collecting scrap metal and dreaming of the star trekking life he was promised after the space program went belly up.

That is, until he finds himself at the center of a celebrity child kidnapping case. Seeing his chance to be a hero, Orson takes matters into his own hands. Will his actions only cause more heartbreak? ‘Spaceman’ #1 kicks off an all new 9 part mini-series from the creators of 100 Bullets and the status quo shattering comic book, ‘Flashpoint: Batman Knight of Vengeance’, Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso.

Orson, the hulking beast of a main character, is basically a lonely science experiment. He was genetically created to withstand the harsh journey to Mars. Now that the space program is gone he is trapped living in a world he was never meant to know.

‘Spaceman’ #1’s post-apocalyptic setting is a pretty frightening place. The “Brad & Angelina” of this world are known as Marc and April, they live their entire lives on camera. There is even a reality show where orphans compete to be added to their stable of adopted children. When the front runner for the latest Orphan: Survivor, Tara, is kidnapped it is viewed as a worldwide disaster.

So in a world built on TV, with jobs and money scarce, Orson is left to travel around collecting scrap metal to sell back. When he is out on a salvage trip he learns the price of his livelihood  has dropped to about half of what it was worth when he left to go get it. Some guys just can’t catch a break. This is evident when on his trip he comes across another boat, with what looks like another “Spaceman” and his hostage, Tara.

There is something about this book that feels very Frank Miller “Dark Knight”. Maybe it’s the heavy blacks, or the not quite anatomically correct bodies? I think it is more than just the artwork though. One of my favorite parts of this book is the dialect. All of the characters speak “Texting”. For this reason alone I think Brian Azzarello is a seer of things to come in this world. It is actually pretty fun reading the dialogue, when you have to re-read each one making sure you have the right emphasis on the proper syllable to make sure you understand what is being said. That is brilliant!

Here is another thing to like about ‘Spaceman’ #1, this is the first of a nine part mini-series, and this first issue is only going to be $1.00 when it comes out on today, October 26th (FYI… it is $0.99 on digital so you can save a penny). If you are a fan of Azzarello and his creative partner Eduardo Risso, crazy post-apocalyptic stories or the idea of a series being less science fiction and more science hell, you will be sure to enjoy ‘Spaceman’ #1.

Verdict: Buy (Seriously, it’s only a buck. I’m sure you’ve spent a dollar on things much less interesting.)

SPACEMAN #1
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by EDUARDO RISSO
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON