Three Worlds / Three Moons: Arrivals #1 (Dark Horse Comics, 10/21/26): Writers Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer & a team of artists invite readers to the world of Akva, where warring religious groups, pirates, giant space whales, and lonely spacefarers vie for your attention. Hickman and Spencer craft a narratively dense, albeit schizophrenic, world to explore. Verdict: Imaginative but confusing.
Credits:
- Writer: Jonathan Hickman, Nick Spencer
- Artist: Mike Huddleston, James Stokoe, Christian Ward
- Colorist: Mike Huddleston, James Stokoe, Christian Ward
- Letterer: Amal Desai, James Stokoe
- Cover Artist: Mike Huddleston (cover A)
- Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
- Release Date: October 21, 2026
- Comic Rating: Mature
- Cover Price: $6.99
- Page Count: 44
- Format: Double-sized Issue
Covers:
Analysis of Three Worlds / Three Moons: Arrivals #1:
First Impressions:
Arrivals #1 is the second release in Hickman’s group artistic effort that explores Three Worlds and Three Moons. Going into this double-sized issue cold, I didn’t know what to expect. Now that I’ve read it, I still don’t know what to expect.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):
Arrivals #1 breaks down into three (more?) distinct narrative threads that may or may not connect, depending on whether or not you can pick out a single name or reference buried in the dialogue and data pages.
The issue opens with a prologue flashback about a research team, led by Tajo Vellar, that was reported lost on the Kaoso Moon, near an archaeological site called the Temple of Veils. From what we can tell, this prologue has nothing to do with anything else in the rest of the issue.
Now, an unnamed space pilot decides to leave his home on Therra to visit the world of Akva, a water planet. Traversal between worlds is blocked by a massive space barrier that looks like an eye. The only way to traverse the barriers, which frequently create large space storms, is by a small craft with an expert pilot or by booking passage in a city that rests on the back of gigantic space whales called Vojogonto, who can traverse the barriers. None of the logistics or origins of this travel are explained.
On the surface of Akva, two major factions are in constant war at the behest of their mutually acknowledged god Voda: The Voda-in-glory and the Voda-in-Damnation. Their peace pact requires no fighting, so they fight anyway through hired armies of mercenaries. Their goals are to eradicate the other AND corner the market on a precious power substance called Khor that rises from the oceans. Followers of the site will recognize Khor from Three Worlds / Three Moons: Shift #1. We get an extended look at multiple races for Khor in progress, as well as a battle between the hired mercenary armies.
The issue shifts again to one of the space whales traversing a barrier during a bad storm. We get the perspective of the aging captain in his quarters, Capt. Garto Pab Engren, as he writes in his journal. He believes that a war is coming. Around the city on the space whale’s back, lovers meet, thieves steal, gangsters are assassinated, and in the end the captain returns to the helm to steer his Vojogonto through the storm.
How is the story in Three Worlds / Three Moons: Arrivals #1?
If you’ve read the story above and are still wondering what this story is about, join the club. Hickman’s love of voluminous world-building kicks into overdrive but at the expense of establishing anything that remotely resembles a throughline.
Whose journey are we following? I don’t know. What are the stakes? I don’t know. What are the obstacles that get in the way of the protagonists? I don’t know. What are the goals of the protagonists? I don’t know. Besides the loose overlap of the settings, what does one character have to do with another character? I don’t know.
In effect, Hickman and Spencer came up with an anthology of pieces that share a solar system, but that’s about it. You could arguably say that this #1 issue doesn’t even qualify as a story. Instead, it reads like a collection of concept pitches a creator would make to a studio or publisher executive.
What makes it more difficult to enjoy is the plethora of complex names, titles, and lineages that sound like a strange mix of Italian and some alien language. None of which roll off the tongue.
How is the art in Three Worlds / Three Moons: Arrivals #1?
The art may or may not be a sticking point for you. As you can see from the credits above, there are multiple artists working on the issue, each given a distinct and separate subplot. The result? A jarring, schizophrenic visual presentation that widens the divide between each subplot. It looks like multiple comics were drawn, pieces of each comic were excised, and then the pieces were stitched together in a single issue.
Characters
There are too many characters to name, and it’s unclear how much or how little development they get, which informs how they move through their respective journeys. If you were to ask, “Who is the main character?” the answer is “Everyone and no one.”
Originality & Concept Execution
Yes, sure, this is absolutely an original collection of world-building concepts, but the execution is practically nil because none of the concepts are fully developed. You’re paying for an anthology of ideas.
Pros and Cons
Art Samples:
The Scorecard:
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 1.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 1/2
Final Thoughts:
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Three Worlds / Three Moons: Arrivals #1 isn’t a story in any clear sense. It’s a collection of concept pitches and ideas that only interconnect with the loosest of threads. Jonathan Hickman and Nick Spencer pour in gobs of imagination for a dense setup, of sorts, and the artists push their individual styles to the hilt. That said, the final result is plodding, schizophrenic, and devoid of direction.
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