- Writer: David A. Goodman
- Interior and Cover Artist: David Cabeza
- Colorist: Michael Atiyeh
- Letterer: Richard Starkings and Comicraft’s Jimmy Betancourt
- Designer: Brennan Thome
- Digital Art Technician: Ann Gray
- Editor: Dave Marshall
- Assistant Editor: Konner Knudsen
Thanks to Dark Horse for the review copy!
TTHE ORVILLE #1: LAUNCH DAY is a comic based on a TV show. I really enjoy the show and got an opportunity to meet the cast at an autograph session at San Diego Comic-Con (in case you are wondering, they are all super nice!), so I was really looking forward to reading this book. The Orville (the show) is the strangest show I have ever seen for two reasons. First, it would fit right in as a Star Trek series, from the ships to the uniforms to the technology to the aliens to the social commentary cleverly slipped into sci-fi fun. But The Orville is in no way connected to Trek. The second reason The Orville blows my mind is that what it is varies from episode to episode. Sometimes it is a comedic parody (it is a Seth MacFarlane show after all) but other episodes are fairly serious and are more of an ode to Star Trek than poking fun at it. Along the way, you really do start to connect with the characters, who each get interesting character arcs.
What does all this have to do with this comic? While the book does a great job letting you know everything you need to know to understand the plot, it seems to assume some knowledge of the crew of The Orville. This issue effectively plays like an episode of the show, but an episode in the middle of the season as opposed to a pilot. A reader who hasn’t seen the show will not be able to appreciate how well the dialogue fits the characters’ personalities and might have difficulty figuring out who everyone is. Someone who hasn’t formed a connection with the characters by watching the show will also care less about what happens to them.
The art features crisp clear lines and vibrant coloring. The most arresting visual feature of the book is how much the characters look like their actor counterparts. It’s uncanny and one of my favorite aspects of the book.
If you enjoy The Orville show, you will love this book. It manages to capture the essence of the show in comic form. If you haven’t seen the show, there’s nothing in this book that prevents you from enjoying it, especially if you’ve seen Star Trek. It could be a good way to see if the show is for you. This issue kicks off an arc and ends on a cliffhanger, so this is the perfect time to start reading.
THE ORVILLE #1: LAUNCH DAY (PART 1 OF 2) will be released on September 2nd, 2020.
Check back in a few weeks for my review of the 2nd issue in the series.
Are you going to pick up the issue? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
