In CASPIAN PORTER #1, available from SnowyWorks on May 8, 2021, drinker, gamble, womanizer, and all-around scoundrel Caspian Porter is in hot water with his latest client when he gambles away their precious cargo. Escaping the boss sends him on an adventure he’ll never forget.
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The Details
- Written By: Drew D. Lenhart
- Art By: Juan Fleites
- Colors By: Jonathan Wetmore
- Letters By: Drew D. Lenhart
- Cover Art By: Juan Fleites
- Cover Price: $2.99
- Release Date: May 8, 2021
Was It Good?
This is one of those indie projects where you can see bits and pieces of influences from all across the sci-fi spectrum. Influences are inescapable in this media-saturated society we live in, so the best comics are ones that take those influences and create something new and refreshing. The less good comics splice those influences together into a knockoff that’s less than the sum of its parts.
This comic falls somewhere in between, which means it’s just okay. The story and concept are original enough. A ne’er-do-well finds himself in hot water for behaving badly, and in his haste to flee, he falls down a rabbit hole to a whole new world of adventure. Not stunningly original but there’s plenty of room for creative surprises.
While the concept is sound, it’s the individual pieces that frequently become a distraction. If you have a love of sci-films and you think about how to describe this comic to your friends, it winds up sounding something like this: “Han Solo from Star Wars, wearing a spacesuit from 2001: A Space Oddysey and V.I.N.C.E.N.T. from The Black Hole are on the run in Flash Gordon’s spaceship from space gangsters when they fall through a wormhole and land on a prehistoric planet where they meet Ajor from The People That Time Forgot.”
Now, that description sounds pretty awesome for a sci-fi film, but those are relatable superficial descriptions. The real question is whether or not, put together, those pieces make something new and just as good.
New? Mostly, yes. Just as good? Not quite.
To be fair, living up to any of the referenced films is a tall order in any medium, and there’s the rub. Get too close to the influence and comparisons become unavoidable.
Again, this is a decent enough attempt at sci-fi, B-movie entertainment, so if that’s your cup of tea, you’ll enjoy this. However, I felt this first issue falls short in two key areas related to character development.
The main character, Caspian Poster, is thoroughly unlikeable. Han Solo may have been a scoundrel but you could tell there was a good heart under the gruff exterior. Here, Porter doesn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities. He’s that friend you know who’s constantly in trouble because he keeps making obviously bad choices, so there’s not much to root for with the lead.
Second, the dialog is clunky, particularly from the Curbie the robot. He’s/It’s constantly nagging Porter for his misdeeds, but Curbie lacks any charm or endearing quirk to balance out the nagging. Like Porter, not much to root for with Curbie.
On the plus side, the art for this first issue is one of the better offerings from the constant flow of submissions we receive. The linework is solid, the panel composition is very good, and the overall look of the comic is visually appealing.
The one minor down point on the art is the lack of refinement on the coloring, particularly with contours around surfaces. The primitive woman they meet almost looks like she has two-tone skin in a few panels. Fortunately, this is a minor issue that can be corrected in future issues.
Overall, this is a good, middle-of-the-road first issue. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. If you like your sci-fi with obvious influences and homages to your favorite films, you’ll enjoy this comic. That said, it’s not quite better than the sum of its parts.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
You’ve pretty much got the gist of the issue at this point, but here, we’ll focus on the plot in more detail.
We join Caspian Porter and Curbie in their spaceship, racing towards Mars and on the run from the Corporation. Caspian lost the Corporation’s cargo while gambling and slept with the CEO’s wife during a drunken bender. Needless to say, the boss isn’t happy.
The Corporation ships fire missiles that disable Caspian’s rocket. They intend to get what’s left of their cargo back and take Caspian’s ship for their trouble. Spinning out of control, Caspian’s ship is suddenly sucked into a wormhole that appears out of nowhere. On the other side, Caspian sees Earth and angles for a crash landing.
Later, we see Caspian sitting in a jungle. What he thought was Earth is definitely not Earth. Suddenly, a T-Rex comes charging through the trees looking for its next meal. We conclude the issue with Caspian receiving some unexpected help and the revelation that he’s much farther from home than he possibly imagined.
Final Thoughts
CASPIAN PORTER #1 takes bits and pieces from nearly every sci-fi classic you know and love to create a new pulp adventure. The art is excellent and the concept has tons of potential, but some of the influences are a little too on the nose and the main character is tough to root for.
Score: 6.5/10
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