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Dark Matter Vol. 1 Review

By Andy Frisk
September 25, 2012 - 17:35

A ship of characters, who awaken to discover that they do not know their own names, histories, or current destination, must find themselves anew when they land upon a remote mining colony and begin to discover that their original purpose for arriving there is counter to their current desires.

From the writers on Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Stargate Universe television series comes a new series about self-discovery and rebirth set in a future universe ruled by corporations who exploit, but sometimes negotiate with, their laborers. When a claim is staked and an offer is refused though, these corporations have no qualms against hiring a gang of ruthless mercenaries to enforce their desired results.

Enter the team of The Raza, a ship populated by criminals and murderers, who after having their memories mysteriously wiped, discover that decent human goodness cannot be wiped. They have to decide which path to follow. Will it be their original mission and objective as murderers and criminals, or will the new path that they have unwittingly found themselves on be the course they will pursue? Mallozzi and Mullie don't just throw the usual cliched characters together though in Dark Matter that one might expect from such a story. Each has their own unique set of quirks and personality traits that make them each a story in and of themselves. Mallozzi and Mullie don't end up solving all of the mysteries of their predicament either. They leave enough unresolved threads to warrant several more volumes of Dark Matter starring this crew.

Bringing this worthwhile story to life is artist Garry Brown. His sketch-like style fits the authors' sketchy and slowly revealed plot movement as concerns the background traits and facts behind the crew of The Raza's identities. The overall artwork has a bit of an unfinished feel, much like the story of this crew is unfinished.

Well written and well drawn, Dark Matter Vol. 1 Rebirth is a well chosen read. Mazzolli, Mullie, and Brown create a new character driven saga for sci-fi fans that should see a long and productive life. 

 

Rating: 8 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12