Spacetrawler: The exploitation of Earth on a multi-national level

When it comes to sci-fi epics there are a number of formulas we have come to expect over the years. A bunch of abductees becoming vital members of a spaceship’s crew is not one of those formulas. And yet, that is where we find ourselves in Spacetrawler.

Perhaps I’m easily swayed by the idea of an adventure in space with a cast of misfits, but I found myself quickly sucked into the plot of Spacetrawler. There are a number of recognizable themes throughout, including a so far traditional friend-turned-evil plot line which is coming into focus following the eight months of character development and back story. Back story which was far from typical and in the case of Emily Taylor, down right bizarre. A mere five days after the comic began we’re introduced to the ticking clock of the series, or the first book anyway. One of the main characters has been killed before we meet her and so the entire story is told through the underbearing narration of the ship’s captain Nogg as he details Martinia’s demise to her father. Given the fact that we’re introduced to the universe beyond Earth by Nogg we have no choice but to trust his description of events, but in the back of my mind I ponder the reliability of this narrator. After all, he describes himself as a foolhardy idealist bent on realizing a will-less and supremely intelligent race from perpetual bondage by all members of the Galactic Organizational Body.

The comic brings a lot to the table. The artwork is full color and looks like it was done with Crayola markers by someone who has unlocked the full potential of the grade school technology. It is not mine intention to demean the coloring, it is in fact well done and the shading is especially impressive. It’s like watching one of those painting shows they used to wheel into your room on the TV cart in grade school. It looks easy enough but when you try it on your own paper it comes out looking like something Marten Jansen was trying to do when he sneezed. It is entirely possible that this only applies to the backgrounds. The actual characters seemed to be colored with the bucket tool in MS Paint. They were inked first, don’t worry.