Displaced: Aboard the Leto
Summary
Displaced: Aboard the Leto is a shiny new scifi series from creator Sam Rieck with art by Duh Dude and writing by Brannon Hollingsworth. The premise of the story is Norm, a 33-year-old couch potato that finds himself thrown into the middle of a chaotic and violent conflict between the crew of the Leto and their enemy, the Drose. Armed with nothing but a lot of confusion, Norm has to survive not only the impending Drose invasion, but also the crew of the Leto’s distrust.
Assessment
Aboard the Leto is a fun and engaging scifi adventure for kids, teens, and adults alike. The quality of this comic is unmatched by a lot of other indie comics. The artwork is solid, engaging, and well-crafted, the premise is intriguing and definitely leaves the reader wanting more, and the dialogue is snappy and witty, giving each character their own voice.
The artwork, more specifically, is splashy and bright, with a lot of little details hidden throughout the background. Readers have to keep a special eye on the characters’ expressions, as many of them are hilarious and definitely meme-worthy. The characters also have unique-without-being-too-out-there designs that pull some more classic elements of science fiction into orbit with interesting and unique twists.
The story itself is both dialogue- and action-packed, moving seamlessly from one chaotic combat scene to the next without being too overwhelming. There isn’t much in the way of exposition or stage setting in this initial comic aside from introducing all of the characters, so there’s not a lot known about the overarching conflict, how Norm got there, or any other relevant detail.
Light-o-Meter
Artwork: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Writing: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Age-Appropriateness: Appropriate for older kids and teens (and adult comic fans!)
Theological Message: No theological message (so far!)
Overall: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Displaced and am definitely looking forward to future issues! As both a scifi/space opera nerd and an avid collector of comics, this series may end up being one of my favorites. The story has a solid premise and there is plenty of awesome scifi action and chaos to keep me reading.
The artwork I particularly like. The colors are bold without being too eye-stabbing and there is an almost manga-like flare to some of the shading and the character expressions that is subtle enough to avoid interfering with the overall Western style. The tech for the ship, the weapons, and crew’s prosthetics are all really cool and I can’t wait to see more!
My one complaint is the lack of exposition in the beginning. I personally like my comic series to take a bit more time setting the stage, especially when they aren’t tethered to a bigger, more familiar universe (i.e. Marvel or DC). For example, I have zero idea what’s going on with the Leto. They have a hierarchy and uniforms, which makes me think a military or naval type situation, rather than, say, pirates. Are they part of a larger navy or government? Why are they fighting the Drose (aside from the fact that the Drose look like space demons; 11/10 design, btw)? These are the questions that keep me up at night.
Wrap-up
Displaced: Aboard the Leto is a bright, fun, and action-packed scifi adventure from Sam Rieck. The story is about 33-year-old couch potato, Norm, who finds himself transported — unarmed, lost, and confused — to the middle of a huge space battle between the Leto and the evil Drose. This first issue is not only enjoyable in its own right but shows a lot of promise for the coming series in terms of both art and the storyline!
Where to Enjoy
Global Comix: Displaced | English | GlobalComix
Brainy Pixel Store: Displaced, Issue 01, Aboard the Leto (brainypixel.com)
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