TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #1, available from Source Point Press on November 24th, 2021, takes readers through a series of vignettes about life, death, power, and corruption told through the eyes of a dead astronaut.
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: $3.99
- Release Date: November 24, 2021
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Was It Good?
TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #1 is a fascinating collection of ideas connected through the consciousness of a long-dead astronaut floating through space. Technically, you could call the issue an anthology, but each entry is more accurately described as a vignette that expresses a snippet of life rather than a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end.
The vignettes range from lighthearted to philosophical to grim, and each one has a subtle message about life from a different aspect. One vignette starkly highlights the notion of power’s corrupting influence. Another quickly encapsulates the cycle of life playing out as the cycle moves towards destiny, underscoring how life for a people isn’t one long cycle but many small ones repeating out over eternity.
The art of the vignettes are mostly light, using a water color style to keep the narrative in a dreamlike state to match the dead astronaut’s memories. In a sense, everything about this comic feels like a dream with snatches of idea flowing from one to the other until it’s time to wake up, or in the case of the dead astronaut, until he runs into a new friend.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
As with all our anthology reviews, we’ll cover each short briefly and rank them on what worked or didn’t.
The Dead Astronaut
A dead astronaut floats through the dead (no pun intended) of space, acting as narrator for the shorts to come. There’s no explanation as to how he died, how he got here, or how he’s able to narrate stories when he’s emphatically dead. Somehow, it makes sense that a non-threatening, lifeless hunk of matter floating through space would be the perfect objective observer for the myriad of planets and lifeforms he encounters.
As far as non-human or non-living narrators are concerned, this one ranks right up there with the most memorable of the bunch. The dead astronaut provides the connective tissue to hold the shorts together, and it’s a perfect fit for the eclectic mood of this comic.
Another World
A group of humanoid aliens float through space on a tree, looking for a new world to call home. Their only purpose is to tend the tree, grow the flowers it sprouts, and patiently wait until destiny settles the tree on a new world to call home. As the aliens grow old and reach the end of their lives, their absorbed into the tree only to be reborn and begin the cycle of life again until destiny arrives.
This is the most philosophical and weighty short in the comic. The narrative focuses less on the journey but on the perspective on life this alien race has adopted. There’s a zen-like quality to the short that feels like the most important point is how you walk the journey, not the journey itself or the destination.
The Star
An alien rock star and his former bandmate hold a press conference to answer questions about his latest musical release. When one of the reporters gets too personal and too aggressive, the rock star shows he has a terrifying ability that goes beyond his music.
This short is the most amusing and possibly the most cynical of the bunch. It’s an alien-themed take on the nature of the relationship between celebrities and the press, and how the two can be at odds or work together to manipulate the narrative for their mutual benefit. It’s a lesson on not totally trusting what the camera only allows you to see.
Prince of Steel
A steel magnate earns his fortune through hard work and investment. When he brings his son into the family business, allowing him to grow with all the opportunities and none of the struggle, the son takes the privilege of his upbringing to terrifying extremes.
This short is the closest to horror in this book in that the son grows up to be a (figurative) monster addicted to violence, destruction, and power. It’s a pointed lesson about the old adage of “absolute power” taken to extremes. One wonders if the son would have turned out different if that young man had been given a timeout when he needed it.
Final Thoughts
TALES FROM THE DEAD ASTRONAUT #1 is a well-crafted and thought-provoking series of vignettes, focusing on philosophical ideas and life lessons. Each short has something to say, wrapped in a science fiction setting, and all are recorded by the unblinking eye of a deceased astronaut’s aimless travel through space. The excellent art captures the dreamlike tone of the issue, and every idea is worthy of their own issue.
Score: 8.5/10
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