‘Spaceman’ is the story of Orson, a man genetically engineered to withstand the harsh journey to Mars and finds himself trapped in a seriously harsher reality. On the outskirts of the flooded city, Orson’s on the trail of some bloodthirsty pirates. Seems they’re both after the same precious treasure. The only difference is that Orson wants the treasure alive.

Issue #2, like most comic books, picks up right where Spaceman #1 left off, as Orson finds the kidnapped celebrity orphan Tara. Trapped on a boat, with a gun pointed at him Orson is looking to save the day. When he is shot he flashes back to his NASA days, when he was injured in an explosion.

When Orson comes to, he finds his situation has changed, Tara has the gun, her kidnapper is bleeding out  and the frightened celebrity orphan now has the gun trained on him. At this point it is revealed that Orson is practically bullet proof, as the gun shot left him with a bruise and not much else. He was after all genetically engineered to survive the harsh realities of space and life on Mars.

Aside from being super strong, close to indestructible and an all around creepy guy we learn that much like Tara, Orson was a child celebrity. More for being a perceived crime against humanity than for being a cute reality game show constant. When he and his “brothers” were created, apparently the U.S. Taxpayers didn’t take too kindly to their hard earned money going towards paying for the creation of these creatures.

So while Tara is going from orphan to celebrity, Orson’s life was the opposite with a riches to rags story (so to speak). Having a moment to bond, Tara decides her best chances to make it home is to stick with Orson. That is when they get to leave the frying pan and jump firmly into the line of fire as some pirates come across Orson’s boat.

Getting the chance to see Orson in action defending his new friend from the shoot first ask questions later pirates was graphic and violent, and totally left me wanting to see more! When it comes to Brian Azzarello’s Spaceman, I think 9 issues is about the perfect length for this series, any more of reading text speak might just be too much. To go along with the strange and oddly cadenced writing, the artwork by Eduardo Risso is dark and dirty and 100% on point for the dark and dirty and dangerous reality of Spaceman. Make sure to come back for ‘Spaceman’ #3, to find out if Orson can keep his head above water long enough to do the right thing?

Verdict: Buy

SPACEMAN #2
Written by BRIAN AZZARELLO
Art by EDUARDO RISSO
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON