Space Bums #1 Review - Bonkers Sci-Fi Comics at its Very Best

How about some dastardly funny sci-fi meta destroying, library fighting, card game apocalyptic event causing awesomeness in art with a wonderful 90's graffiti aesthetic? Then set aside some quiet time for Space Bums #1 by Luke James Halsall and Hiorsh Gabotto.

Luke James Halsall is a very talented writer with an awesome penchant for sci-fi. And the best tattoo of a whale and a bowl of Petunias. As the kids say, if you know, you know. Anyway, Luke has a great list of previous works, including the very much enjoyed, long overdue for review, but I promise it's coming, Out of Time. Plus Mind Hacker and Anomaly Squad, which I've previously covered.

Jorge Luis Gabotto, aka Hiorsh Gabotto, is an Argentinian freelance illustrator and occasional writer. Hiorsh's previous works include King Of Pain, Zicky, Bad Future, Puesto Zeta and Don't Make Me Come Down. Excellent artists accurately accredited it's time to get into it.

So, let's start with the art. Hiorsh has a very cool loose sketch ink lines style that holds elements of Moebius via David Choe's 90's graffiti aesthetic. There's some bonkers character work on display that's really inventive and characterful, with really great readable emotion and tenacity. Alongside that, ridiculous tech that's portrayed with beautiful, raw inventiveness. The high-class stylistic quality of this art has a really dynamic edge that lends itself greatly to the out-there narrative.

Another wonderful and particularly well-delivered aspect of the art is the colour work. A cleverly utilised palette dressed with a watercolour-like wash over those frantic yet deliberate sketch-like inks. It creates bold, eye-catching art that's perfectly adept at capturing the sci-fi shenanigans. The brighter elements of the palette really push the arts pop and wow factor, punctuating already excellent presentation.

The rawness of this art makes it urgent and special and undeniably enjoyable. Fun and bonkers good art for a fun and bonkers story. Speaking of, let's do that bit next, shall we?

Luke James Halsall makes special comics. What makes them special is their inventiveness and humour, a humour best described as "Abwong" or maybe more appropriately the epitome of "anti-Ely" (check The Meaning of Liff for definitions or be considered a Troglodyte) (only joking obvs) (about the Troglodyte) (we're all friends here, but true friends know two things 1) Where their towel is and b) where their copy of The Meaning Of Liff is) (mines under the dodgy leg of the spare chair for the dining table) (we may of digress here so let's not get on any other tangents) they're comics that always make you laugh but that also make you think, not necessarily in any big moralistic way, more of a rewiring of inventive creativity.

It's the same thing Douglas Adams or a very light-hearted Grant Morrison imbues in the reader. A joyful playfulness of every concept and trope there is to play with in the sandbox.

"That's nice to know, Joe, but what about this book? It's a lot of reviews I've read here now, and I don't know anything about it; it's almost like you're stalling". I imagine you're pondering to yourself, well, just hold on to your knickers. This ain't stalling, no, not at all. Not one bit at all, in fact.

Why would I stall? It's a brilliant book. A wonderfully entertaining story, and I love bonkers sci-fi stories. I mean, Junction Jones, that one was really out there, but I conveyed its brilliance, I believe, so no stalling here.

Not a drop of it. Now that's addressed...

For fans of sci-fi, library manners, bounty hunters, royal frogs, sentient water that thanks to unknown plasma and the Karate Kid back catalogue believes it's the titular age-defying acted character Daniel LaRusso, trading cards, donuts on treadmills?, genocide inducing card games, space crocs, Bjork, the power of song, Douglas Adams, plot armour, meta play, genuinely funny absurdism, golf, I really like the golf thing by the way a laugh out loud moment, Reservoir Frogs?, bonkersnessness, hi-jinks, and art of dynamic quality that oozes cool, pick up and pocket a copy of Space Bums #1.

To get your copy, I'd recommend Markosia here. There's links to Space Bums #1 there along with many other wonderful comics.

Review: 4.9 ½ /5