TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #2, from Source Point Press on January 6th, 2022, continues three tales of regret, loss, hope, and determination – all connected by an astronaut’s thoughtful corpse floating through space.
The Details
- Written By: Jonathan Thompson
- Art By: Jorge Luis Gabotto
- Colors By: Jorge Luis Gabotto
- Letters By: Jorge Luis Gabotto
- Cover Art By: Jorge Luis Gabotto
- Cover Price: $2.99 (digital)
- Release Date: January 6, 2022
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Was It Good?
There’s a lot to like with TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #2 that builds on the first issue with the same amount of soulful, thought-provoking science fiction. That said, issue #2 has a flaw that hurts, or at least hinders, the reading experience.
Similar to the first issue, TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #2 is an anthology of three short tales connected by the trials and tribulations of a consciousness encased in a dead astronaut floating through space. If that description alone doesn’t wet your sci-fi whistle, not much else will. To be fair, the dead astronaut’s travels fill the space between the stories but are not a participant in or a narrator of the stories. The dead astronaut is more mortar than glue.
Perhaps the astronaut’s lack of interaction with the stories is the issue’s greatest flaw. Rather than tell three new stories, this issue continues the stories from the first issue with almost no transition, primer, or clear act structure. In other words, readers are given snippets of stories already in progress, so if you don’t have the first issue in hand, you’ll be very lost. The middle story about a son who turns into a tyrant is the easiest to follow of the three, but all rely on the previous issue to make some sense of the happenings.
Generally, we don’t advocate for holding off for the “trade”, but this is a case where it makes sense to keep all the issues together while reading so you can refer back or, yes, wait for the trade.
That doesn’t mean the stories are any less interesting. The art is unique and pleasantly stylistic. Each story has a deep emotional core that explores a character’s sense of loss and regrets thoughtfully. Collectively, these stories are mature and meaningful. Just make sure to hold on to the prior issue.
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]
Again, this comic is good stuff but you will be lost without issue #1, so go back and read our TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #1 review to get caught up. The comic is broken down into four sections – the mortar of a dead astronaut whose consciousness is very much alive, and three chapters continuing from the prior issue’s stories.
The Dead Astronaut
We pick up after issue #1 with the astronaut’s body confiscated by an alien ship that finds it floating through space. Here, the aliens examine the corpse and decide they may have something to work with, much to the astronaut’s surprise.
The Rock Star
The shapeshifting alien rock star from the last issue is living the good life, but his manager is not relishing in the fame now that the rock star’s secret is out. Without a care in the world, the rock star spirals into a lifestyle of reckless excess, ending the only way it can.
The CEO
Lily recalls the happiness of her childhood, watching her father groom her brother, Alexander, to take over the family business. Now, Alexander has become a mechanized tyrant and only the one who knows him best can stop him with mechanized tools of her own.
The Drifting Tree
The reborn leader of the tree’s monks considers that the tree can only take root when the tree is given direction and purpose. The tree cannot find others and end the group’s solitude as long as they allow fate to decide the tree’s course. The reborn leader decides a new way of thinking is what’s needed to set the tree on its path.
Final Thoughts
TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #2 picks up immediately from issue #1 by continuing all three tales of science fiction-based hope, regret, determination, and sorrow. The art is as soulful as the writing, and the stories are some of the most unique you’ll find in comic form. That said, the stories do not stand on their own or pick up cleanly, so make sure to go back and read issue #1 first or wait for the trade.
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