Comic Review: Tartarus #1 (Image Comics)

A visually ornate book, full of optical detail and obtuse scenarios, Tartarus #1 digs deep to deliver us a gem. It’s from Image.

The book is split into two parts; on the mining planet of Styxx, the home of Tartarus the prison mine, there is unrest. Deep below the surface, a riot is commencing. Surka is escaping the Abyss! The results of this riot will have grave implications in Part Two, which carries the narrative in a new direction.

It’s a deeply jeweled work, full of facets and bright colour. Writer Jonnie Christmas, with co-creator and artist Jack T Cole, make an amazing universe of science fiction come to life. The ideas are fresh, the words are invented. It’s imaginary but believable.

The visuals are carefully constructed with fine line and colour. Designer Ben Didier has the look of the book in mind, and Cole is creating the internal visuals, the smoke, the pipes, the gadgets, and gear.

Perhaps a lot of the first issue is spent in investing us in the characters. The first part gives us a lot of information to digest, and perhaps some of the moments are small moments, ignorable. Why are they there, these minor characters, these milliseconds?
We’ll see. By issue two, the comic will revert to normal length, with a backup story. In the meantime, check out the amazing depth and bandwidth that this creative team has brought up to the surface for us!

Image, Tartarus #1, $5.99 for 53 pages of content. Rated Teen