BEYOND THE BEYOND #1 – Review

BEYOND THE BEYOND #1, from Scout Comics on March 23rd, 2022, follows teenager Nova Vega as she rebels against the rigid restrictions of a space mining colony to unravel the mystery behind her parents’ death.

The Details

• Written By: Christian Tropeano
• Art By: Gian Fernando
• Colors By: Beyond Colorlab
• Letters By: Joel Rodriguez
• Cover Art By: Gian Fernando
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Release Date: March 23, 2022

Wait! Don’t Forget To Sign Up For The Comical Opinions Newsletter.

Was It Good?

BEYOND THE BEYOND #1 is the latest sci-fi offering from Scout Comics and it has several positive things working in this first issue’s favor that make it a recommended pick.

The general premise surrounds a teenager who is stuck in a mining colony, orphaned after her parents were killed during a space exploration mission. As all headstrong and courageous teenagers tend to do, she rebels against the colony’s ultra-controlled society to get out among the stars to find out how her parents died.

Tropeano does many things right in this issue to pull you in, wanting to know more. First, the readers know how the parents die but not exactly why or who/what is involved. Readers know more than Nova, the main character, to feel like you’re ahead in solving the puzzle but not so far ahead that all mystery is gone. It’s a strong and well-executed start to a mystery story.

Second, nova is a likable character in that she doesn’t trust Omni (the company running the colony) when almost her entire existence involves accepting what she’s told blindly. She’s a teenager acting like a teenager, and she acts as anyone one would trust is demanded without being earned. You can relate to Nova, you understand her motivations, and so, her character is introduced with a clear sense of relatability.

Next, Omni is in charge of everything and it’s easy to draw parallels in a world where social media and surveillance permeate the real world. The constant, watchful eye of Omni feels oppressive without the floating eyebots taking any overt, harmful action. Tropeano successfully puts the reader at unease in every panel because you can see how Nova is put off by constant surveillance, and her defiance to being told what to do every minute of every day elevates her character further.

Last but not least, the art by Fernando is so clean you could eat your dinner off of it. The lines are immaculate, the setting designs feel otherworld but grounded enough to be believable, and the space scenes are gorgeously realistic.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

We begin with a couple working aboard a deep space exploration ship. They report a magnificent finding on a distant green planet and report the discovery back to Omni’s CEO Sergey Page. Shortly after they send the report, the ship explodes.

Ten years later, Nova Vega, the couple’s daughter, is getting in trouble in school under the watchful eye of Omni’s eyebots. Her older brother, Sirius Vega, has fully bought into mining and the Omni way of life, but Nova feels the pull to explore and truly find out what happened to her parents.

When Nova’s latest school infraction gets her in trouble, Sirius lays down the law for the good of her future. We conclude the issue with stargazing, an escape tunnel, and a black hole.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.