Comics / Comic Reviews / DC Comics

Saucer Country #1


By Andy Frisk
March 31, 2012 - 16:31

New Mexican Governor Arcadia Alvarado believes that she’s been abducted by aliens and that “we are being invaded.” After a strange encounter reminiscent of the “lost time” phenomena (a legendary alien abduction phenomena popularized on The X-Files) Arcadia has strange dreams which drive her to the conclusion that aliens are among us, and not of the illegal kind.

saucer-country.jpg


Paul Cornell’s (Action Comics, Demon Knights) first foray into the world of comics’ best imprint, DC Comics’ Vertigo, is as sci-fi charged as it is politically charged, and the combination of the two themes is not only welcome, it’s brilliant. Gov. Alvarado of New Mexico just might become the “first female, divorced, (and) Hispanic president.” As her consulting opposition (Republican) party advisor states she is “not the alien, (rather) the epitome. When she reveals to her advisors after her presidential bid announcement that “I was abducted by aliens” and “We’re being invaded” will they believe her or think she’s lost her mind?

SaucerCountry_300x250_thumb_1_.jpg


As Mike Carey recently confirmed on a recent Comic Book Bin podcast, Paul Cornell is a brilliant writer who is ripe for an appearance as a writer for one of Vertigo’s newest and most high profile new ongoing series. The way that Cornell sets up the potential allegorical conflict between “aliens” and political and illegal aliens, as a social issue that has been occupying a large chunk of the political and social discourse in The United States over the past few years, is packed with the potential for some serious exploration of the issue. Like the majority of Cornell’s work for DC Comics, Saucer Country looks like it will be another solid outing from one of DC Comics’ most solid writers. In fact,I fully believe that Saucer Country will soon be the newest “must read” from a long line of “must reads” from Vertigo.

SaucerCountry1.png


Series artist Ryan Kelly captures the landscape of the American Southwest, as well as the necessary psychological and horror-like aspects necessary to reveal the unique premise of Saucer Country. Ethnically diverse characters (including some possibly inter-galactically diverse characters) are captured effortlessly. He also does an excellent job with background detail, something that you at first wouldn’t think would be as important to a comic with this type of subject matter.

In short, if you like intelligent and well thought out intrigue tinged with the kind of atmospheric dread that pervaded the aforementioned X-Files, Saucer Country is for you, and soon it just might be for everybody.   

Rating: 8.5 /10


Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

    RSS       Mobile       Contact        Advertising       Terms of Service    ComicBookBin


© Copyright 2002-2023, Toon Doctor Inc. - All rights Reserved. All other texts, images, characters and trademarks are copyright their respective owners. Use of material in this document (including reproduction, modification, distribution, electronic transmission or republication) without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. Toon Doctor ® is registered trademarks of Toon Doctor Inc. Privacy Policy