Spaceman (comics)
Encyclopedia
Spaceman is a nine-issue, science fiction
comic book miniseries written by Brian Azzarello
, illustrated by Eduardo Risso
, and published by Vertigo. Azzarello and Risso previously collaborated for more than ten years on the Vertigo series 100 Bullets
, as well as other projects such as the Flashpoint
mini-series Batman: Knight of Vengeance.
about the possibility of traveling to Mars. The engineer told him that it was currently impossible, because the human skeletal structure couldn't stand that much time in space. When Azzarello suggested that children be bioengineered to have thicker bones, he conceived Orson, the main character of the series, and then began to build a world around him. In preparation for the series, Azzarello spent years doing research.
According to Azzarello, he first invited Risso to work with him on Spaceman, and three other stories he was planning to pitch, when the two were talking in a New York bar, probably during a farewell party for 100 Bullets. Risso immediately agreed, and all four stories were accepted when Azzarello pitched the ideas to a Vertigo representative. Spaceman is the first to be released.
#1, released by Vertigo on May 25, 2011. Spaceman #1 was released by Vertigo on October 26, 2011. Each issue will sell for $1 at retail stores and $0.99 online.
Spaceman features coloring by Patricia Mulvihill
and Giulia Brusco, lettering by Clem Robins, and cover artwork by Dave Johnson. Both Mulvihill and Johnson previously worked on 100 Bullets.
IGN
reviewer Joey Esposito gave the first issue of Spaceman an 8.5/10, adding that "Spaceman #1 is unlike anything you'll read this week, let alone all year long." The Outhouse also praised the issue, calling it "a deep, dense comic that's absolutely thrilling to read." Chad Nevett, reviewing the issue for Comic Book Resources
, made special issue of the price, ending the review, "With the first issue priced at only a dollar, how can you not give it a shot?" James Fulton of Comics Nexus named the issue as best comic of the week. Cyriaque Lamar of io9
called the series one of the best science fiction comics of 2011.
Oliver Sava of the The A.V. Club
praised Spaceman on the whole, though thought it did not reach the quality of Azzarello and Risso's 100 Bullets. Sava found the story strong but the dialogue distracting, noting that while the intent to show "how language has degraded along with everything else in the world" was clear, "its effect is questionable." Sava had more praise for Risso's art for creating a "fully realized world" with "incredibly expressive" characters, which he thought was alone worth the $1 cover price.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
comic book miniseries written by Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello
Brian Azzarello is an American comic book writer. He came to prominence with the hardboiled crime series 100 Bullets, published by DC Comics' mature-audience imprint Vertigo.-Career:...
, illustrated by Eduardo Risso
Eduardo Risso
Eduardo Risso is an Argentine comic book artist. In the United States he is probably best known for his work with writer Brian Azzarello on the Vertigo title 100 Bullets, while in Argentina and Europe he is noted for his collaborations with Ricardo Barreiro and Carlos Trillo...
, and published by Vertigo. Azzarello and Risso previously collaborated for more than ten years on the Vertigo series 100 Bullets
100 Bullets
100 Bullets is an Eisner and Harvey Award-winning comic book written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso. It was published in the USA by DC Comics under its Vertigo imprint and initially ran for one hundred issues...
, as well as other projects such as the Flashpoint
Flashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
mini-series Batman: Knight of Vengeance.
Plot
Set in a post-apocalyptic near future, Spaceman tells the story of Orson - a hulking, lonely loser who spends his days collecting scrap metal and dreaming of the startrekking life he was promised. That is, until he finds himself at the center of a celebrity child kidnapping case.Development
Azzarello got the initial inspiration for the series from a conversation he had in a bar with a bioengineering professor from Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
about the possibility of traveling to Mars. The engineer told him that it was currently impossible, because the human skeletal structure couldn't stand that much time in space. When Azzarello suggested that children be bioengineered to have thicker bones, he conceived Orson, the main character of the series, and then began to build a world around him. In preparation for the series, Azzarello spent years doing research.
According to Azzarello, he first invited Risso to work with him on Spaceman, and three other stories he was planning to pitch, when the two were talking in a New York bar, probably during a farewell party for 100 Bullets. Risso immediately agreed, and all four stories were accepted when Azzarello pitched the ideas to a Vertigo representative. Spaceman is the first to be released.
Publication and credits
An eight-page prelude to Spaceman was included in Strange AdventuresStrange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
#1, released by Vertigo on May 25, 2011. Spaceman #1 was released by Vertigo on October 26, 2011. Each issue will sell for $1 at retail stores and $0.99 online.
Spaceman features coloring by Patricia Mulvihill
Patricia Mulvihill
Patricia Mulvihill is a colorist who has worked in the comics industry, working on Batman, 100 Bullets, and many other comics. In 2004, she won the Eisner Award for Best Colorist...
and Giulia Brusco, lettering by Clem Robins, and cover artwork by Dave Johnson. Both Mulvihill and Johnson previously worked on 100 Bullets.
Reception
The crowd at a Vertigo panel discussion at the New York Comic Con in October 2011 enthusiastically applauded the new series.IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
reviewer Joey Esposito gave the first issue of Spaceman an 8.5/10, adding that "Spaceman #1 is unlike anything you'll read this week, let alone all year long." The Outhouse also praised the issue, calling it "a deep, dense comic that's absolutely thrilling to read." Chad Nevett, reviewing the issue for Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, made special issue of the price, ending the review, "With the first issue priced at only a dollar, how can you not give it a shot?" James Fulton of Comics Nexus named the issue as best comic of the week. Cyriaque Lamar of io9
Io9
io9 is a blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media. The blog focuses on the subjects of science fiction, futurism, and advancements in the fields of science and technology....
called the series one of the best science fiction comics of 2011.
Oliver Sava of the The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
praised Spaceman on the whole, though thought it did not reach the quality of Azzarello and Risso's 100 Bullets. Sava found the story strong but the dialogue distracting, noting that while the intent to show "how language has degraded along with everything else in the world" was clear, "its effect is questionable." Sava had more praise for Risso's art for creating a "fully realized world" with "incredibly expressive" characters, which he thought was alone worth the $1 cover price.