BOOM! Studios is releasing a four-part mini-series entitled The Expanse, based on the American sci-fi television series. The comic book mini-series takes place between Seasons 4 and 5 of the TV show.

Humans have colonized the solar system. Antiheroes have placed themselves at the middle of a conspiracy, threatening to disrupt a delicate state of cold war. United Nations Security Council member Crisjen Avasarala, detective Josephus Miller and ship’s officer James Holden and his crew feature highly.

“…Crisjen Avasarala finds herself dealing with the outcome of the tumultuous elections for her position and far from Earth but not its politics,” reads Boom!’s description. “When Bobbie Draper – a former Martian marine – brings Avasarala intel on an intergalactic black market weapons ring, Avasarala sees a chance to reclaim her political position. But as Draper digs deeper into this secret cabal, she soon realizes the threat they pose is far larger – and closer to home – than either of them ever imagined.”

With no preamble, Writer Corinna Bechko tosses us into tense scenes of political intrigue and imprisonment. It’s hard going for the first time reader or a newcomer to the series like me. A synopsis would have helped us. But we get the gist: there is trouble on Mars, Luna, and everywhere in between.

The illustrations by artist Alejandro Aragon are well handled when he is given the freedom to explore his potential, but I also found that several female characters had similar looks, and became confused. The colouring by Francesco Segala is heavy on greens and sombre earth tones.

There are some really powerful action scenes later in this issue that ramp up the energy in this limited run mini-series, which is probably best suited to regular fans of the Hugo Award-winning TV series.

BOOM! Studios, The Expanse #1, $3.99 for 24 pages of content.

By Alan Spinney

After a career of graphic design, art direction and copywriting, I still have a passion for words and pictures. I love it when a comic book comes together; the story is tight, and the drawings lead me forward. Art with words... the toughest storytelling technique to get right. Was this comic book worth your money? Let's see!!

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