Gatchaman #17 Review

Gatchaman #17 (Mad Cave Studios, 4/16/26): Writer Sam Humphries and artist Chris Batista begin a new arc when the Science Ninja Team is sent to investigate the arrival of a mysterious UFO—but not all is as it seems. It’s an action-packed beginning to a new arc, but some confusion dampens the excitement. Verdict: A solid but flawed start to a new arc.

• Writer: Sam Humphries
• Artist: Chris Batista, Sabrina Cintron
• Colorist: Carlos Lopez
• Letterer: Buddy Beaudoin
• Cover Artist: Inaki Miranda (cover A)
• Publisher: Mad Cave Studios
• Release Date: April 15, 2026
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 32
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of Gatchaman #17:

First Impressions:

It’s impossible to review the current Gatchaman series without comparing it to how it started under the writing talents of Cullen Bunn. Sam Humphries does a fairly solid job of sending the Science Ninja Team off on a new adventure, but the smoothness and narrative flow that made the original arcs so close to the source material is not quite as seamless.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

The issue (and the arc) begins with the Science Ninja Team receiving an alert from Dr. Nambu that an anomalous signal has been detected. The signal indicates that it might be alien in origin, but they’re not quite sure. The team races off to find the source of the signal, but unfortunately, Lord Berg Katse and the Galactor fleet decide to beat the Science Ninja Team to the source.

After some daring flight combat, the Science Ninja Team gets to the source of the signal , but they learn the signal—and the ship they find (if it is a ship at all)—is not of alien origin. It is connected to a trio of scientists who disappeared from Vesuvio City several years ago. The issue ends with the arrival of a mysterious mech in the shape of an owl, and the promise that the scientists have returned to save the world.

How is the story in Gatchaman #17?

Writer Sam Humphries gets the action, the pacing, the characters, the setting, and all the particulars that you would expect from a Gatchaman comic in place. The story has a decent amount of mystery, and the general atmosphere works for what you’re looking for in this type of comic. What’s missing is the smoothness of the character interactions; the dialog feels very stilted, the patter is stiff, and the plot progression is a little bit jagged. In effect, it’s fine, but it’s not smooth.

How is the art in Gatchaman #17?

On the other hand, Chris Batista’s artwork is stellar. The characters look great; they’re authentic to the source material, and the brief bits of action are 100% on point for a rousing Gatchaman experience. The lines are clean, and the layout transitions are spot on. That said, you can tell Batista struggled with Sam Humphries’ script due to the jagged, halting nature of the narrative flow. There are a lot of inset panels and small compressed spaces that don’t make the story feel big—in fact, it’s the opposite; the story feels compressed.

Carlos Lopez’s colors also look fantastic. The colors pop; everything is very bright and energetic. The smooth shading on the characters, the ships, and the general environment looks amazing.

Characters

Since we’re talking about a superhero team, it is an ensemble piece, but no one character really takes the stage as the focal point. All the members of the Science Ninja Team talk over each other and complete each other’s sentences to give the impression of a unified group of people that act as a singular person. It’s fine and it works, but it also contributes to that stilted, halting patter that makes the story feel more jagged than it should. The narrative bounces around and no one person takes the lead, so you get focal whiplash.

Originality & Concept Execution

The idea of the Science Ninja Team investigating something that might be an alien ship or an alien arrival is not new by any stretch of the imagination. So the originality comes from the idea that the individuals responsible for the signal are really scientists who disappeared some time ago, but may have either traveled to an alternate dimension or hopped through time—it’s not quite clear. On the one hand, the source of the signal is original, but that originality is offset by a fair bit of confusion because it’s not quite clear how these individuals jumped forward 100 years in time (“We’ll only be gone for a year”).

Pros and Cons

What We Loved

• The art from Batista and Lopez looks fantastic. It’s bright, energetic, and it pops off the page.
• Sam Humphries’ concept about a trio of scientists returning after a strange time dilation is certainly original.
• The dogfight flying action sequences look great.

Room for Improvement

• The halting, stiff nature of the dialog progressions is jarring.
• There’s nothing particularly original about the story until you get to the very end.
• Lord Berg Katse comes off as too dismissive and flippant for his character type.

Art Samples:

The Scorecard:

Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 2/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3.5/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2

Final Thoughts:

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Gatchaman #17 is a fairly standard Gatchaman adventure with an intriguing final-page twist. The art looks fantastic and is honestly the highlight of the issue. The adventure is solid overall, but the narrative flow of the comic is offputtingly stiff, and everything leading up to the last-page reveal is fairly cliché.

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