Skyward #1
Publisher: Image
Writer: Joe Henderson
Artist: Lee Garbett
Colorist: Antonio Fabela
Letterer: Simon Bowland
Review by Michael Farris, Jr.
I remember having this thought when I was younger and unable to sleep that it would be so cool if I could just float up to the ceiling for a little bit and just lie there. That’s not the greatest thought to bring up if you’re on a first date, but apparently it does work very well as a comic book.
Ok, maybe the creative team for Skyward #1 did things a little better than just floating up to the ceiling. We start the book with an average-looking day with an average-looking family, when suddenly, the occurrence known as “g-day” happens: Earth’s gravity just decides to stop working. And it doesn’t go so well for the people who were outside and not expecting it, including the mother of newborn Willa Fowler.
Twenty years later, Willa is living with her dad in Chicago and working as a low-g delivery girl. And while navigating a city by floating around is dangerous enough, Willa ends up running into other kinds of trouble during her job. She is, however, quite up to the challenge, and her risky and unorthodox methods still work. That is, until her dad brings up a new challenge that could change her way of life.
This was a highly enjoyable read from start to finish. The tragedy right at the beginning gets you invested quickly in the lives of the characters, and you can’t help but root for Willa as you get to know her as a daredevil and a below-average flirt. And while it felt like a good chunk of the comic was focused on Willa’s job as an errand girl, it works well as a first-issue narrative to help you get to know her personality how she handles road floatblocks. And her dad…is he a crazy conspiracy theorist, or does he actually know what’s going on?
The artwork in this book hits all the right notes. It’s detailed when it has to be and simplistic enough when it’s meant to emphasize the action happening in the panels. And the facial expressions on all the characters almost make you feel like you’re right there with them.
Verdict: Buy it.
Skyward #1 is a promising start to what should be a fantastic comic from Image. You’ll feel like you’re floating by the end of it.
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