In SUICIDE JOCKEYS #1, available from Source Point Press on August 25th, 2021, the leader of a disbanded group of Kaiju fighters is approached by a wealthy tech billionaire to correct our current troubles in time.
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The Details
- Written By: Rylend Grant
- Art By: Davi Leon Dias
- Colors By: Iwan Joko Triyono
- Letters By: HdE
- Cover Art By: Davi Leon Dias
- Cover Price: $3.99
- Release Date: August 25, 2021
Was It Good?
Well, okay. This one’s certainly different.
Take a more cynical, grizzled, modern version of the Thunderbirds, throw in kaiju and time travel, pepper in a dash of anti-Trump sentiment, and then make a wish. That gets you close to what this comic is about.
This comic starts off solidly in the realm of science fiction mayhem with ships that combine into more powerful ships, giant robots helmed by mad scientists, and a time travel rift that causes a rift in the team. It’s an adult-friendly version of the Thunderbirds with more serious stakes (and more adult language) that hooks you right from the opening pages.
Where the story wears thin is in its cynical-to-the-point-of-condescending take on conventions and fan culture. It casts fans as selfish parasites who will do anything or spend any amount of money to get near the people they idolize. It’s hard not to imagine the writer is trying to cast a negative pall on nerd culture. That’s a strange take when those same nerds are the ones who you would want to buy your comic.
The anti-nerd culture hot take is one thing. When the story begins to pepper in the anti-Trump talking points (some of which have already been debunked and dismissed as histrionics), the story takes on a dated and silly feel. This is not a “you can’t have politics in comics” critique, but it is an “if you’re going to put real-life politics in your book, at least used verified facts” critique. Thankfully, the comic doesn’t dwell on the political points too much, but when it does, it’s incredibly on-the-nose and eye-rolling.
Moving past the hot takes, there is a fairly solid premise here with a slightly different angle on the Butterfly Effect that forces the reader to ask what the world would be like if there was a time travel accident, would we even know it, and could we fix it.
The writing, in all, has some strong ideas. There’s at least enough curiosity to see where the story goes next.
The art in this issue is quite good. The giant mech designs are imaginative. The Suicide Jockey vehicle designs could use a little flair to make the vehicles more distinct, but they get the job done. The linework is excellent and the panel composition, especially during the big battles, is visually appealing. Visually, this is a top-notch comic.
In short, this first issue has an interesting premise with outstanding art, but some of the story points are offputting.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
Space Jockeys are a group of armored vehicle pilots assigned to fight kaiju and giant robots as emergencies arise. During their last mission together, the team chased an evil scientist piloting a giant robot with a time travel engine back to feudal Japan. The Jockeys defeated the robot, but the damage to its engine created a time-space rift that was growing to a point of critical mass.
Cut to the present day. Denver, the Space Jockeys’ leader, is a drunken, washed-up has been. He attends conventions to make a little extra money but he doesn’t care if he’s rude to the fans or what they do with him as long as he gets paid. His antics even go so far as exposing himself and soiling himself on stage, but nobody seems to care.
One night, Denver is approached by Suneel Dalal, a tech billionaire with a proposition. Dalal’s researchers identified individuals who are developing conflicting memories as though time isn’t quite right. Dalal’s research team pinpointed a specific date in time when the split occurred, and it coincides with the exact time when monsters first started appearing on the planet.
Dalal wants Denver to help him understand how the rift occurred during his previous mission to ancient Japan, how it was closed, and what can be done to undo all the terrible things going on in our world. We conclude the issue with a flashback to the closing of the first rift, the terrible loss required to make it happen, and Denver making a very serious request.
Final Thoughts
SUICIDE JOCKEYS #1 takes a wild ride with robots, mech teams, kaijus, and time travel. The central premise is a fresh take on the Butterfly Effect that builds loads of curiosity about what happens when the damage to time is already done and how far would we go to fix it. Despite some on-the-nose insertion of anti-Trump politics and an almost scornful take on nerd culture, the central idea of the story shows promise.
Score: 7.5/10
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