Satellite Falling #2
Written by Steve Horton
Art by Stephen Thompson
Colors by Lisa Jackson
Letters by Neil Uyetake
Review by John Dubrawa
After delivering an excellent first issue, Steve Horton continues to impress me with his work on Satellite Falling #2. This issue picks up right where the first one left off, with our protagonist, Lilly, in the throes of an intense standoff against the very crime boss she’s out to take down in her role as a bounty hunter for hire. Although this issue is much more action heavy than the previous one, the characterization is still front and center, giving Lilly an incredible amount of depth for a comic series with only two issues under its belt. I do hope the series eventually branches out to other sections of the world of Satellite for future installments as it seems like there’s much to be uncovered narratively there, but for now, the ride along with Lilly is a pretty thrilling one.
To be fair it’s hard not to enjoy a comic that’s essentially a chase sequence from beginning to end. Lilly’s capability and generally badassery is on full display from panel one all the way through to the explosive end. How she handles herself when facing adversary or when needing to appeal to a child slave that she is attempting to rescue shows two very different sides to her complex character. She also continues to be a very haunted protagonist under Horton’s script, and given how the issue ends, there’s only more heartbreak headed Lilly’s way. I’m curious to see how her moral code as a bounty hunter (which we learn a bit about in this issue) changes given the new circumstances of her assignment.
Stephen Thompson is once again phenomenal with his art in Satellite Falling #2, specifically in his ability to convey Lilly’s emotional ride throughout the issue. A lot of panels are close-ups of either the protagonist herself or her actions during the aforementioned chase, and both do a fantastic job at pushing the character forward. Thompson’s creature designs are still as awesome as they were in the first issue, but what particularly struck me here is the way he draws Lilly’s shape-shifting ability. What I imagine to be a difficult idea to get across visually in this medium Thompson does wonderfully–there’s never a moment of confusion when it happens. Lisa Jackson’s colors are spectacular as well, lending a distinction to each individual alien that Thompson pencils. When Satellite Falling does eventually open up its scope to the wider world available, I can’t wait to see what Thompson and Jackson can do with that sandbox.
THE VERDICT
Buy. Satellite Falling is showing a lot of promise in just two issues and as long as it continues at this level of quality, the series is going to be a must-buy every time a new issue comes out. If you somehow missed out on the first issue, grab it now and grab this one too.
