- 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!
If you haven’t seen The Orville, it is a TV show by Seth MacFarlane that is eerily similar to Star Trek. It is quite good, if uneven, as if it can’t decide if it wants to be a parody or an homage. Thus far, this comic adaptation has maintained a consistent tone. This series plays it fairly straight, with some witty banter mixed in for humor. This issue also uses an interesting technique in which it has characters in different situations repeating the same or similar lines, which is a novel way to transition between scenes, and is quite funny.
In the prior issue, the Orville came across a planet with a dangerous weapon that had attracted the attention of the Krill (basically the Klingons), who are the enemy of the Planetary Union (basically Starfleet). In a very Trek consistent move, Captain Mercer decides to go down to the planet with Kelly to investigate (Is there no one else they can send? How many ship captains get killed visiting planets? Are captains really that expendable?)
This issue wraps up the arc that began with issue one. As is often the case with the show, the ending isn’t a tidy wrap up where everything works out great. This makes for a richer plot, and the ending definitely resonated with me. The ending also leaves a glimmer of a possibility of revisiting the story in the future.
The art continues to be strong. Not only does The Orville nail the characters from the show, it manages to make two characters from the show recognizable disguised as aliens. This is no small feat.
This series feels like a genuine episode of the show. So, if you enjoy The Orville, you will enjoy this book. If you’ve seen the show, your familiarity with the characters will allow you to pick up what is going on. If you haven’t seen the show, I recommend starting with the first issue.
THE ORVILLE #2: LAUNCH DAY (PART 2 OF 2) is now available
Check back in a few weeks for my review of the 3rd 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!
