- Writer: David A. Goodman
- 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!
THE ORVILLE is a comic version of the Seth MacFarlane TV show that is either a parody or an homage to Star Trek, depending on the week. Issues one and two were essentially one episode, and issues three and four form the second. In the first part of this story, Talla returned to a planet she had visited years ago, only to find it had been enslaved by some baddies called the Nazh. With The Orville’s version of the Prime Directive being followed (for once), the crew was unable to intervene. So, Talla took a vacation, headed to the planet, and dressed up as the planet’s equivalent of a superhero (or folk hero I guess).
The nice thing about THE ORVILLE is it isn’t afraid to pose philosophical and ethical questions, present both sides, and then not give an answer. This issue is no different. Should Talla intervene? Are her actions causing more harm than good? There is always a temptation to provide a neat and tidy answer to these questions, but THE ORVILLE has a habit of stopping just short of that.
The Nazh continue to look more silly than scary, but they are given a lot of credit this issue. They are both nasty and more intelligent than they look, which makes the story much more interesting. Given THE ORVILLE’s decent special effects, I’m curious to see if they attempt to bring these guys to the screen.
The comic’s strong point has been its art. The characters really look like the actors who they are depicting. This issue dials that back a bit, because its focus is on a masked Talla and the aliens she is helping. The action in this issue is particularly strong.
While there is some violence, it is bloodless. If you like the show, you will like this comic, as it essentially reads like an episode of THE ORVILLE, and the same audience would be appropriate. Issues 3 and 4 are interesting because they give some more time to Talla than she’s gotten on the show.
THE ORVILLE #4: HEROES (PART 2 OF 2) is now available
Have you been reading the series? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
