Star Pig, from IDW, swings us into outer space with issue one.
It’s a familiar start: a long voyage by a young woman goes haywire when their ship is attacked. She is the only survivor… and now in the company of a pink tardigrade. A tardigrade?? These ‘water bears’ are water-dwelling micro animals on earth, but in this case, it’s immense! Who knows what is going to happen in this wacky space story!
Star Pig is written by Delilah S Dawson, an American writer of sci-fi (including Star Wars stories), Young Adult titles and various novellas.
It’s illustrated by Italian artist Francesco Gaston, (Judge Dredd-Funko Universe, She-Hulk, Monsters Unleashed, etc. Colours are by Sebastian Cheng, a Malaysian American, with work on many titles, including Call of Duty, Transformer, GI Joe, and more.
The title quickly jettisons past its standard beginning in terms of tone, sophistication, and intelligence. This is no mere ‘girl’s-space-junket-interrupted’, there is more at play here. And the mood is certainly playful; 16-year-old Vess has a gum-chewing attitude that is appropriate. The dialogue is witty, the situations fresh and original. It’s irreverent as heck.
And the artwork is unbelievable. It yanked me right into this comic. Gaston’s knowledge of anatomy, facial expressions, his ability to focus on the ‘moment’ of drama with clarity are all really impressive. Coupled with Cheng’s amazing colouring, this comic is a gift. I am certainly interested in following along with Vess, wherever she may lead us in this mini-series!
IDW, Star Pig #1, $3.99 for 21 pages of content. Assume Teen rating
Anthony Andujar Jr. 
Newsdesk