Suvudu Universe

Copperhead #1

written by Jay Faerber
art by Scott Godlewski
Image Comics, $3.50

As Faerber starts off his editorial note, “I’m not the first person to think of this.” Many people have done space westerns, from Star Trek to Firefly and beyond. But what attracted me to this series was its sense of character and its unusual choice for the protagonist. Most Western leads are vigilantes, not the official voice of the law.

Clara Bronson has come to the mining town of Copperhead as its new sheriff with her son Zeke. There, she meets a resentful deputy, who was passed over for the job, he believes because of his species.

The dialog is wonderful, creating a strong sense of location on the post-war frontier, in spite of the mag-lev trains and spaceport and what looks like a land speeder and the domestic call for a squabbling family of frog-like aliens. Godlewski’s visuals are impressive and establish a solid world.

Bronson’s no angel, seen by her dislike of artificial humans. I get the feeling there’s lots of backstory to explore, whether hers or the town’s or the culture. This extended first issue (28 pages) not only gives her something juicy to explore — a family murder — but her son gets his own adventure as well, with a hunt for a lost dog that takes him out too late. The emphasis here is on the Western side of the equation, exploring the frontier and what happens when people move away from civilization, not the space trappings, which I like. A good start to what looks to be an intriguing series.

Thomas Alsop #4

written by Chris Miskiewicz
art by Palle Schmidt
Boom! Studios, $3.99

I know halfway through a miniseries isn’t a great place to start, but this is a good issue that shows off the various themes of this premise well. Thomas Alsop is “the hand of the island”, the home mage of Manhattan. It’s a family job, handed down over generations, but he’s turned his time in the role into a reality show and blog.

This issue introduces Emma, a British witch friend, and engages in a substantial flashback showing their early days together as a rock band made up of magicians. As Alsop explains things to Emma, the reader is also reminded of (or introduced to) the conflict and costs.

What some will find tricky about the series is the underlying concept: that Alsop is trying to exorcise (or otherwise handle) the ghosts at the World Trade Center from 9/11. It’s treated delicately, and while one might argue that the story didn’t need to be told at all, if you’re going to postulate a place-based magician in NYC, you sort of need to tackle it. It’s as valid a way of processing that event as any, in my opinion, through fantasy fiction. (And at least we aren’t presented with some kind of story about preventing or reversing the event.) There’s also the complication of the hull of an enchanted slave ship buried as landfill, reminding us of the tangled history of any long-standing place.

The art is spooky and good at setting mood, from old friends reminiscing before getting down to the business of why you’d ask someone from your past for help, to the dodgy edges of a society based around exploring the unknown. The story’s got an excellent sense of place and plenty of content to ponder.

(The publishers provided digital review copies.)