I love a good science fiction. Although the genre isn’t as represented in popular media as it should be, sci-fi buffs like me still get fed bits and pieces here and there. Thankfully, the nerd gods have granted the world Planteoid to keep us going for now. Written and illustrated by Ken Garing, Planetoid is one of the latest comics put out by Image, the company behind such titles as The Walking Dead and Spawn.
Ken Garing is an illustrator out of San Francisco who obviously has an amazing talent for rendering and telling an intriguing tale. Planetoid not only keeps you interested page after page, but the artwork does a beautiful job of bringing Garing’s castaway story to life.
Here is a synopsis compliments of the Image Comics site: “Silas, an ex-soldier turned space pirate, finds himself stranded on a mysterious planet in alien territory. As he explores the long-abandoned industrial ruins of the planet’s surface he will have to fend off rogue mechanical creatures, roving cyborg militias, and a hostile alien military with a bounty on his head. Silas will have to rely on resourcefulness and bare-bones survival tactics in order to stay alive and ultimately unlock the secrets of a planet where survival is a luxury and escape an impossibility.”
I could say that Planetoid is the most original story idea ever but that wouldn’t be completely true. Tom Hanks and his volleyball are testament to that. But this, my friends, is a perfect example of the magic that is birthed out of the marriage between a great concept and a flawless execution. Because there is certainly nothing even closely resembling predictability about this comic, not in the characters or the storyline or the images created by Garing.
As if the artwork itself isn’t enough to blow you away (as if!), let’s consider just how this precious commodity came to life. Toward the beginning of the year, Ken Garing had self-published Planetoid on Graphicly just trying to get his stuff out there. Thankfully the geniuses over at Image were smart enough to snatch it up and distribute it to the masses as initially a five part series. (Here’s hoping for more!)
If you’re into science fiction, you are definitely going to love this comic book! The second issue just came out two weeks ago and I can’t wait for the next one. Run, not walk, to your friendly neighborhood comic book store and pick one up (or you can get it online). Rating: A+
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