The Last Space Race #1 - AfterShock Comics
Written by Peter Calloway
Art by Alex Shibao
Colors by Natalia Marques
Letters by Marshall Dillon
Most of us are took young to remember the race to see who would be the first to put a man on the moon. We read about it, but to experience it in real time must have been amazing. Now people like Elon Musk are battling to see who will be the first in the private sector to go into space. What if there were more to it than that? What if going to space could be the biggest public/private partnership in the history of the world? Time to find out what's going on in The Last Space Race from AfterShock Comics.
The story follows a few different characters, but let's focus on Sasha Balodis. He is the man with the billion dollar empire trying to find a way to take people into space. While that may sound familiar, there is another part to this story. Something was discovered by an astronomer that has sent the government into a frenzy. Problem is, NASA has shut down any shuttle programs, so what do you imagine that could mean? A lot of this issue does follow Sasha's journey, and we slowly get to find out a little bit about who he really is. Normally when it comes to comics, that has a sinister meaning. In this case we get to see that Sasha isn't just some typical eccentric billionaire. His motives don't seem steeped in a money making enterprise, and that was a breath of fresh air. I should mention that the issue starts well into the future, and we get a glimpse of what is essentially the climax of this first issue. Whether that is something that makes you stick around for the rest of the series is up to you.
One thing I really enjoyed about The Last Space Race was the feeling that I got for a true love of science. The fascination with space does have a cool factor, but many times stories like this lack the awe of it all, and this one doesn't. Having characters that truly appreciate what they have found and what they are doing made this book for me. I didn't even talk about why there was a rush to get into space in the first place, because I was so caught up in that aspect. That being said, it's a pretty good reason. My only concern here is, how much of a long game is this story going to play out? Everyone involved with this story is either really confident in it's success, is planning a major time jump at some point in the book or both. That is a big gamble, but one that has certainly paid off for other stories in the past. I also can't help but feel that there is way more to the story than what we saw in just one issue. There is a lot that needs to play out here, and while we think we may know the conclusion, that may be far from the truth. I know I haven't mentioned the art yet, which was pretty solid, but the story itself was the real star of this first issue. The art team will definitely get their chance to shine in future issues I'm sure, so I am confident enough in what I have seen to know that great things are on the way. While I do have a little bit of trepidation going forward, I have a gut feeling that The Last Space Race will be a surprising favorite in my monthly reads.
RATING: PULL / BUY