Man’s Best #1 Review

 

Writer: Pornsak Pichetshote

Artist & Colorist: Jesse Lonergan

Letterer: Jeff Powell

Cover Artists: Jesse Lonergan; Trish Forstner; Frany; Jae Lee & June Chung; Dustin Nguyen; Ivan Tao

Publisher: Boom!

Price: $4.99

Release Date: March 20, 2024

 

After wars and environmental crises devastated Earth, the Tomorrow Corporation charged Captain Patel with preparing a new home for Humanity. Captain Patel brought along Dr. Winters, an inventor overseeing the terraforming equipment. Can Captain Patel and Dr. Winters reach Epsilon 32 and convert its ecosystem to save Humanity from extinction? Let's climb aboard Starship Horizon, take a giant leap into Man's Best #1, and find out!

 

Story

Dr. Winters' devotion to her education and career led to awkwardness with others. She brought her pets along to keep her company on the voyage. They guard her terraforming equipment from curious crewmembers during the day and keep her company at night. Dr. Winters also directs them through simulated battles in the holo-chamber. We don't learn why Dr. Winters feels her pets might need to defend their new home. Still, it makes sense to have people—or pets—prepare for the unexpected on an alien planet.

 

Captain Patel regards Dr. Winters’ experiments as little more than entertainment in Man’s Best #1. But then, Captain Patel doesn’t believe in his mission. Humanity’s cruelty and rapaciousness seem incurable. A family death further isolates him. He allows Dr. Winters to conduct her experiments, even if they drain the ship’s resources and detract from her duties. Still, Captain Patel has a more pressing concern. The ship's sensors no longer detect Epsilon 32.

 

Athos wasn’t Dr. Winters’ first pet, but the longhaired white cat leads her pack. At least, he tries. Porthos—an affable Golden Retriever--is his enthusiastic right-paw dog. Or should I say, his bionic right-paw dog? The problem pet in the pack is Lovey. The jowly terrier does what he pleases when he pleases, which inevitably dooms their simulated missions.

 

Pornsak Pichetshote fuels Man’s Best #1 with interesting character dynamics. Dr. Winters wishes Captain Patel would return her affection. Some crewmembers share Captain Patel’s disbelief in their mission. Yet Prichetshote primarily focuses on Dr. Winters’ pets. Lovey distrusts his owner and feels disinclined to follow orders. Porthos' exuberance diminishes her focus. Athos wishes he were a decisive leader who inspired his team to greatness.

 

Dysfunctional relationships are the least of their worries when Epsilon 32 suddenly reappears in their path. Captain Patel and his crew struggle to slow the ship’s momentum. After a turbulent blackout, the pets awaken in a wrecked spaceship. Where did the crew and Dr. Winters go? What happened to the terraforming equipment? The Incredible Journey has just begun!

 

Art

Starship Horizon propels an immense storage container between the stars. Captain Patel’s black eyepatch evokes the pirates of yore, while Dr. Winters' immense round glasses compliment her bouffant blonde hair. Jesse Lonergan’s loosely drawn characters give Man’s Best #1 a low-key appearance that lulls readers into this epic tale.

 

Lonergan packs pages with panels that provide insights into the characters without slowing the pace. From the simulated southwest landscape to the grid-like holo room, Starship Horizon’s crowded control room, and finally to Epsilon 32, Athos, Porthos, and Lovey travel through interest-provoking settings. Surgical implants allow Athos to control an exoskeleton, Porthos to generate a forcefield, and Lovey to fire weapons while hurtling about with his jetpack. Or at least when the well-fed terrier feels like it. Then there’s their simulated foe, a Klanker that punches projectile fists and fires lasers from its neck at our canine and feline heroes.

 

Man's Best #1's limited color palette provides contrast in small and large panels. Lonergan imbues characters and backgrounds with a sponged or speckled appearance. The weathering and patinas lend the story a distressed, lived-in appearance that evokes how George Lucas differentiated Star Wars from the idealized futures of earlier sci-fi films.

 

Jeff Powell places large, uppercase letters in colored backgrounds and white dialogue balloons. Words grow bold for inflection and occasionally enlarge or shrink. Sound effects help readers hear the animals purr, howl, hiss, and bark while the Klanger pops its top. Powell shakes the reader when the klaxons blare and the crew of Starship Horizon brave the perils of bashful Epsilon 32.

 

Thanks to Boom! Studios for providing a copy for review.

 

Final Thoughts

When a terraforming mission goes awry, a bionic Golden Retriever, a flying terrier, and a cat clad in exoskeletal armor must brave the dangers of an alien planet to save their Human masters in Man's Best #1.

 

Rating 8.8/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.