Disclaimer: As this post is categorized as a review, it may contain spoilers.
Aliens is mostly my favorite movie of all time. Mostly. Facing down something monstrous is frightening all on its own, but it’s infinitely more terrifying when it happens in space. There’s nothing quite as isolating as the vastness of our universe. In space, there’s no one safe to run to. No real hope of rescue. You’re trapped with whatever is there.
In Dark Matter, our characters find themselves in a similarly horrifying predicament. They each wake up on a spaceship with no memory of who they are or why they’re there. Waking up without your memory is scary on its own, but for the characters here, their fear is heightened by the fact that there’s no one on the spaceship bu them. One of them must be responsible for their current situation, but they have no way of knowing who it could be or who they should trust.
Dark Matter's motley crew.
Obviously, I’m a fan of Dark Matter‘s premise, and I think it has a lot of potential. I’m already intrigued by the mysteries that the comic has presented, and I’m betting things will only get more interesting to come. Serialized storytelling is perfect for building up a slow sense of dread, and when the big reveals of the comic do happen, it’ll probably be pretty thrilling. There wasn’t a whole lot of action in this issue, but there was enough to show that the creative team can handle it well, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.
In space, no one can hear you scream.
Where this issue fell a little short for me was the characters. I can understand that we’re not going to get much backstory when none of the cast can remember who they are, but I want the characters to have their own clear, distinct voice – something I don’t think the comic’s achieved yet. Right now, I care more about the situation the characters are in than the characters themselves, and I hope that changes. The set-up of the comic is good enough that I think the mysteries will keep my attention on their own, but I’d like to feel more invested in Dark Matter than I currently am.
Garry Brown‘s artwork is a terrific fit for this kind of story. He has a sketchy style that reminds me of artists like Riley Rossmo and Ben Templesmith. There’s something mysterious about his artwork that only heightens the secrets found in the book’s story. His pages feel wonderfully fluid, and he shows that he can handle fight scenes with ease. The color palette that Ryan Hill uses sets the tone beautifully, and makes this feel like the strange sci-fi tale that it is.
If you’re like me, and you’re a fan of creepy tales in a cosmic setting, Dark Matter is a series worth checking out. Writers Paul Mullie and Joseph Mallozzi have a strong TV pedigree, and I expect that this will be a pretty satisfying miniseries. I don’t think there’s enough here for fans of character driven sci-fi yet, but hopefully, we’ll get that in the issues to come. I’m looking forward to reading more of this series, and I’m especially excited to learn what the answers to its mysteries might be.