Astral Evolution (Graphic Novel Review)
By: Lowfat
I finally realized what the Astral trilogy is about. I had to read about two-thirds of the way through Astral Evolution to get it, but I finally understand: the Astral series is what 90s comics would be if 90s comics were good.
AstralEvolution is a love letter to the pulpy comics of the 90s, yet the booksurpasses its inspiration. Writers Jay Magnum and Brian Augustyn have improvedupon the ridiculous formula in every way. Ariel Medel’s intricate art is justas solid as it was in Astral Genesis.
Don’t get mewrong: I loved comics in the 90s. They were colorful, exaggerated, andruthless. The grim-and-gritty ultraviolence against spandex-clad heroes was rampant.Remember when Bane snapped Batman’s back over his knee, or when Superman was beatento death? Those were good times. And every main character in the 90s was putthrough the wringer until they were miserable. Remember when Spider-Man wasstalked by a super-powered serial killer who turned out to be his clone, andthen Spider-Man was revealed to be a clone, too? Again, good times. AstralEvolution does just this: it puts its heroes through unnecessarily-high risksto deliver over-the-top rewards to its readers, and my inner teenager couldn’tbe more pleasantly satisfied.
STORY ARC
AstralEvolution picks up right where Astral Genesis left off. Well, after a quickflashback to Ancient Egypt, anyway. Lila, the powerful alien-hybrid Astral, isstill pondering her mysterious origins, and she still has no pants. She iswatched over by Jeannie Lewis, the supermodel-doctor-combat specialist who isalso an astronaut. Dr. Lewis joins our hero, grumpy badass Colonel JonathanDeVane, as they head to a fancy gala to meet the shadowy benefactors behindtheir space operations.
But all isnot what it seems. The wealthy philanthropists have their own secret agenda –one that will take DeVane and friends to the ends of the Earth and beyond tosave humanity – again!
COMIC REVIEW
Astral Evolution is the solid second chapter in the Astral trilogy. The book is every bit as awesome as it is ridiculous, and it knows it. Astral Evolution races from one plot and locale to the next at breakneck speed, dramatically escalating the tension and absurdity with every new nefarious twist. If there was ever a book that could be described in sound effects, this would be it. And I couldn’t be happier with it. The formula is the same as in the previous book. Astral Evolution starts off with a big hook and picks up from there. On the first page of Astral Genesis, the moon blew up. What’s cooler than blowing up the moon on the first page? Traveling back in time to Ancient Egypt to witness an intergalactic murder, that’s what!
This book isall over the place, and I mean that literally. Medel seems to revel in thestrengths of the comic book medium, showcasing what would be nearly impossiblein other visual media thanks to budget constraints. The reader is yanked to adozen different locations throughout the book, including ancient Egypt; TheNational Smithsonian museum of Natural History; a secret, quasi-governmentalheadquarters in Annapolis, Maryland; that same organization’s astrocartographylab; The Galactix Spaceport in Black Ridge, Virginia; and, finally, the NorthPole. All of this takes place within the first 20 pages. Astral Evolution is a trip!
Astral Evolution is also quite brutal. There’s a lot more blood in this chapter than in the last one, which is great. Comics are at their best when they are over the top. It makes the reader feel like a kid again, creating epic battles by gleefully smashing their toys together. I won’t spoil anything here, but antagonist Chase Rockman’s interaction with “Rob” is a perfect example of a classic, villainous dick move, and I loved it.
The villains in this book are perfect. And they better be, because they take center stage in this chapter. Their motivations arguably may be noble, but their methods are harsh and perhaps sadistic. I love the hierarchical structure of their powerful organization – and the infighting that threatens to usurp that hierarchy. What’s more, I love that this struggle still manages to keep the story tightly focused on the characters, their story arcs, and on the main storyline, itself. None of the side plots (and there are numerous ones) ever bog down the action. Astral Evolution’s pacing is superb.
The other characters are just as compelling, even though they lack nuance. Protagonist Colonel DeVane is as curmudgeonly as ever. Don’t be fooled by the image crop though, he’s still a decent person. He’s really chucking that cigar into the trash.
Lila theAstral is as formidable as ever. Both her weird arm cannon thing and her featsof strength get more and more ridiculous as the plot demands. It’s aninteresting asymmetry then, that she’s also the most vulnerable cast member –just like in Astral Genesis. For a benevolent, all-powerful member of ahighly-advanced alien race, Lila sure does take a lot of punishment.
It’s worth mentioningthat each of the characters has their own unique appearance, too, which is notsomething that can be said for all comics lining the shelves today. It’s a testamentto Ariel Medel’s pencils that, even though this book has about a dozen prominentcharacters in it, each one is thankfully unique and easily-identifiable. Theclean lines and bright colors ensure each character differentiates from thenext in looks as strongly as they do in spirit. The art is also refreshingly consistent.Inconsistent art is a problem that plagues comic books to this day, but not theAstral series. For example, Lila stays the same imposing eight-foot-tall Amazonwarrior throughout the book, and, in contrast, “Rob” is always the same small,skinny teenager.
The humor in this book is also top-notch. No spoilers, but Page 60, in particular, made me chuckle like three times in a row. Heroes using the villains’ catchphrases against them is something which will never get stale. Even the most minor bureaucratic lackeys have their moments to shine, showing themselves to be likeable, relatable characters.
The ending raised many questions while also upping the stakes for our heroes. I really want to talk about it (join me on Discord!), but to avoid spoilers, I’ll just say that it left me quite satisfied and ready for the third and final chapter.
AstralEvolution continues the saga of infighting humans struggling to best determinehow to protect themselves against an impending alien conflict. It’s the story equivalentof an idea so crazy it just might work. And it works very, very well.
For more information on Astral Evolution and its upcoming sequel, check outthe official Pet Piranhawebsite, or the book’s Kickstarter.
Thanks to Pet Piranha Entertainment for providing The Geekly Grind with a digital review copy in exchange for our honest review!