Saucer Country #1 - Mobile Edition

DC Comics
Saucer Country #1
By Andy Frisk
March 31, 2012 - 16:31

DC Comics
Writer(s): Paul Cornell
Penciller(s): Ryan Kelly
Inker(s): Ryan Kelly
Colourist(s): Giulia Brusco
Letterer(s): Sal Cipriano
Cover Artist(s): Ryan Kelly
$2.99 US

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.

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?

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.

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