Astro Quantum #1: Call Me Ishmael

Readers familiar with Moby Dick will catch references to it in Astro Quantum #1. That said, this is not a strict sci-fi interpretation of the book. The first issue is heavily concerned with concepts that Moby Dick never touched on. But these callbacks are certainly sign posts for storylines that Astro Quantum is going to play with.

It’s apparent from the start that Mutti and Fabra have envisioned a complete world in which to set Astro Quantum #1. The issue sets out with world building almost at once. In some cases it’s fairly explicit–descriptions of worlds and settlements. In other cases it’s a matter of introducing political and cultural concepts. Indeed, the plot here is secondary to world building and character developing concerns. The world feels alive from the start.

Mutti and Fabra also drop hints toward the themes that Astro Quantum #1 will tackle, among them, classism, the use of natural resources, and eco terrorism.

Ishmael and Quee-Keg are the chief reason that the world in Astro Quantum #1 succeeds so well. Mutti and Fabra conceive of a reason to pair the two characters up immediately after they meet–Quee-Keg has a damaged ship and Ishmael can fix it. The writers don’t waste time with any kind distrust that has to be overcome. This choice makes both characters engaging from the start. It also allows them to share information readily, and in sharing that information they educate the reader on the world at large.

Astro Quantum #1’s two main characters are made even more engaging by virtue of Mutti’s art. Ishmael and Quee-Keg are both open and expressive characters. They don’t walk around, inscrutable–even Quee-Keg who is more well traveled and jaded than her new companion. Their expressions come largely as a result of eye and mouth detail. Beyond that, the level of detail Mutti brings to their faces is limited. Minimal linework embellishes faces along the eyes, in the forehead, or around the mouth. But these are short and thin. Facial features are enhanced more in the collaboration with Alloro’s coloring. Brighter versus darker shades of Ishmael’s blue or Quee-Keg’s mustard skin help identify how deep set their eyes are or how prominent their brows or cheekbones are.

Backgrounds are more detailed, especially natural ones such as the caves Ishmael and Quee-Keg start out in. In several cases there is a kind of paradoxical effect where the characters, less densely lined than their surroundings, jump out relative to the background.

The wider visual world in Astro Quantum #1 is an easily recognizable outer space sci-fi setting. Unlike the overall narrative setting, there isn’t much world building happening with the art. But the art is still high quality and while it doesn’t tell much of a story in and of itself, it does still feel like an inhabited world that Ishmael and Quee-Keg are interacting with.

Alloro’s coloring is rich but subdued. The variety in the color palette helps support the wider outer space sci-fi setting. Though the palette isn’t overly bright, there is still a reasonable amount of contrast to keep characters and their backgrounds easily defined. The major exception to the subdued coloring style are exterior space splash pages and panels. Ships, planets, and other phenomena are more vivid and contrast more intensely with the black of space surrounding it all.

There are several sequences in Astro Quantum #1 where Cutali has a lot of text to deal with. Sometimes the dialogue is limited just to Ishmael and Quee-Keg while other times it involves several characters. Cutali does an effective job at keeping dialogue bubbles organized and largely off toward panel perimeters, out of the way of Mutti’s art. Cutali makes a good style decision with regard to caption boxes containing Ishmael and Quee-Keg’s dialogue. In a seemingly obvious but extremely smart choice he matches the dialogue boxes to their character’s skin color–mustard yellow for Quee-Keg and blue for Ishmael.