Review: DEEP GRAVITY #1

25975DEEP GRAVITY #1
Written by Mike Richardson, Gabriel Hardman, Corinna Bechko
Art by Fernando Baldo
Published by Dark Horse Comics
Release Date: July 30, 2014

A wild, dangerous world that is rich with minerals exists within a 3 year journey of Earth, but darkness and corporate greed cast a shadow over this immense resource.

Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman flesh out Mike Richardson’s story with Deep Gravity #1. This is a sci-fi thriller with some elements of horror potentially weaving their way into the story, dealing with political elements and the corporate greed of society in a sci-fi setting. Bechko and Hardman set the stage for this series well in this first issue, doling out a lot of information through conversation that, for the most part, does not feel too unnatural. There are points where characters are dropping information in a very inorganic way, but on the whole details of how this world operates filter into the issue in a way that is easy to understand without being force fed exposition. There are obviously many mysteries afoot in this series, and Bechko and Hardman plant the seeds well. We certainly won’t be seeing any resolution for awhile, as these mysteries will drive this series forward, but a couple of them hooked my curiosity enough to return to read more. The characters in the issue are rather generic so far, but it is obvious Bechko and Hardman have plans for several of them. There are relationships yet to be explored and an incident that certainly shakes up the status quo, so it is hard to get a verdict on how relatable these characters are at this point.

Initially, when I saw Gabriel Hardman attached to this project as a writer and not a writer/artist, I was disappointed. Fernando Baldo took that disappointment and turned it around, delivering very solid art throughout the issue. This isn’t the flashiest comic on stands, but when danger occurs Baldo delivers and his style suits the script very well. The art doesn’t take a lot of risks, in the same manner as the script, but the two compliment each other to set a tone that is consistent from start to finish.

This issue is a slow burn, which helps build an eerie tension that exists throughout the issue, but it hinders the ability of the story to really pull readers in. There are some really wild science fiction comics in the industry right now, and I couldn’t help but feel that Deep Gravity‘s story was too tame at points to really hook readers. There are some questions posed that are intriguing, but the “oh my god I need issue #2 now” hook has yet to present itself. The writing is strong enough to warrant giving this series a couple more issues, but out of the gate I’m not yet craving more story set in this unknown world. The foundation is there for something interesting, and only time will tell if the series uses that foundation well. If your tastes lean toward science fiction, thrillers, or books with the shadowy specter of corporations, Deep Gravity is worth a look.

The Verdict: 7.0/10

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