Traveling To Mars
Chad Burdette
Recap
Former pet store manager Roy Livingston is about to be the first human to ever set foot on Mars. He's been chosen for the unlikely mission for one simple reason: he is terminally ill and has no expectation of returning.
Roy is joined on his mission by Leopold and Albert, two Mars rovers equipped with artificial intelligence, who look upon the dying pet store manager as a sort of God.
Against the backdrop of not only his waning days but those of human civilization as well, Roy has ample time to think about where things went wrong for both and what it means to be a dying god. A riveting story of planetary exploration and of finding meaning in your final days.
Review
Mark Russell and rising star Italian artist Roberto Meli ponder ego, mortality, man’s place in the universe, and his relationship with technology in Traveling To Mars from Ablaze Publishing.
The story follows Roy Livingston as he travels to Mars to claim the Red Planet’s natural resources for the Eazy Beef Cooperation as the Earth has devolved into a severe energy crisis. The only hope for survival is the stockpile of natural gas reported on Mars by the exploration rovers, so the race is on to lay claim to the planet. Roy, an average man, is selected to make the journey because his only qualification for this mission was his diagnosis of stage four cancer with four months left to live on Earth. Still, he would be able to survive the six-month journey would slow down the cancer cells kill him.
As he journeys to Mars he has plenty of time to reflect on his life, which he recounts in his journal which is also used to move the narrative forward. Roy is joined on the journey by two exploration robots who Russell uses to offset the serious tones of Roy’s reflections, giving it a Mystery Science Theater 3000 vibe, which works well as the story progresses.
Russell adds plenty of action in the present as Roy disposes of ships piloted by convicted felons sent to prevent him from reaching the surface of Mars. This sequence, among others, is another one of the lighter moments that provide some cathartic relief from the heaviness of Roy’s recounting his life on Earth and why he chose to make this journey.
Don’t let the heavy existentialism fool you – the aforementioned catharsis remains on hand as Russell adds an interesting twist once Roy arrives on Mars and gives him a highly satisfying ending sure to leave readers with much to think about going forward.
The series is full of the social commentary and sarcastic take on it that Russell is well known for, but it is the emotional beats of Roy’s reflections that hit home and make the story stand out.
The artwork and colors are also top-notch and add to the story rather than take the reader out of the moment or story.
Final Thoughts
Traveling To Mars is a powerful read that needed the 11-issue run to fully tell Roy's story and give him the ending the deserves. While the series ran from November 2022 through April 2024, which was a journey in and of itself like traveling to Mars, being able to read the series as a collected volume will probably provide readers with a similar respect for the love and work that went into the series by the whole creative team.
Traveling To Mars: This Is Ground Control To Roy Livingston, Can You Hear Me?
- Writing - 10/1010/10
- Storyline - 10/1010/10
- Art - 10/1010/10
- Color - 10/1010/10
- Cover Art - 10/1010/10
