Terra Squad #1 Review: A Continent-Colliding Sci-Fi Triumph
Reading time: 3 minutes
How about some continent-colliding sci-fi of secret Antarctic aliens, with interconnected, international protegees preparing for world-saving conflict? All illustrated by the king of indie comic book action. Heck yeah, it's Terra Squad #1 from the Etianverse by Etienne Kubwabo and Clark Bint.
Etienne Kubwabo is a Scottish comic book creator and filmmaker with Congolese roots and founder of Etianverse Comics. His previous works include the global high-selling Beats Of War and the very much enjoyed here Hyena Man. The Etianverse is set to expand even further with a Vol 1 TPB of Beats Of War. Two spin-off series, Symphony Of Tears and Stormlock, are also on the way.
Clark Bint is an Oxford-hailing, Bournemouth-based comic book artist. Much beloved at CBNUK, his previous works include Killtopia, Killtopia Phantoms, Frank On The Farm, Murder Most Mundane, Rebel Moon and Cyberarchy for Heavy Metal. He's also built an exceptional collection of cover work. Indie nobility introduced its time for the review.
So, let's start with the art. Clark Bint creates a much more familiar world on the surface, at least in Terra Squad #1, a stark departure from the world of Killtopia. But this art is no less chock-full of Clarks' awesome signature style. His characters carry an essence that only Clark can deliver. It's some of the strongest indie comics have to offer.
As always, the high-action moments are where Clark's art melts eyeballs and minds in equal measure. The presentation here is truly unrivalled in comics. The intensity and fluidity always pleases, providing impactful and engaging art. Clark's art is masterful at conveying intensity across a spectrum of emotions, from quiet tension to the explosive. It always powerslaps at full effect, in the way only great artists, and in particular great comic book art, can. As a reader, this is art to truly wonder at. On a first read, you'll be sucked into the story and bought into every beat. On return visits, you can marvel at just how good Clark's art is.
Clark's colour work here also deserves mention for adding decadence to already swoonful art. The clever use of highlight lighting and peppering of glint like effects punctuating everything beautiful that can be enjoyed here. Speaking of punctuating, Rob Jones lends the ever-diligent, perfectly professional lettering work you'd expect, rounding things off with idealisation. Art thoroughly enjoyed, how's the story holding up?
Etienne Kubwabo invites readers back into the Etianverse with a global conspiracy story of sci-fi wonder on an epic scale. This grand-scale storytelling has a grounded sense of reality. An international cast of endearing human stories colliding with big sci-fi conspiracy ideas. Terra Squad has the ambition of a globally collected comic, which it manages to encapsulate. It also serves up superpowered sci-fi full of entertainment. Offering an alternate history rich in lore and sci-fi tropes of alien species, both benevolent and sinister. It adds a new horrifying edge to global warming and melting ice caps. Things move swiftly to introduce a cast of three uniquely gifted individuals, separated by continents but united in inherited destiny.
It's these human stories that show Etienne's talent for the storytelling craft. While he has crafted a very interesting universe, his characters are even more compelling. Weaving three very different individuals in interesting and investable arcs across this first issue.
Etienne is an expert at juggling these three stories while also managing to maintain a high tempo of action. In fact, much like Clark, Etienne seems to express his best art when utilising action set pieces. It's dynamic storytelling at its most kinetic and frenetic.
For fans of sci-fi, superhero action, aliens, international casts of compelling, cleverly crafted calamity opposing inheritors with proclivity for the elements, Antarctica, alt-history, conspiracy, mysterious cubes, mystery in general and art as reliable as an atomic clock, you'll need to kit yourself out with Terra Squad #1.
To get your copy of Terra Squad #1, start at etianverse.com. Or, for the more exciting option, Terra Squad #2 is now live on Kickstarter. It is chock-full of awesome pledge rewards.
Review: 5/5 For everyone who loves comics.
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