ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE: SPACE 1959
"If you believe... they put a man on the moon."

Writer: Larry Young
Artist: Charlie Adlard
Letterer: Larry Young
three-issue miniseries
Published by AiT/PlaNetLar, 2000
$2.95 each

Reviewed by Christopher Butcher

Larry Young puts together really solid comic books. From the cover art to the book design, from the awe-filled stories to the realistic and unique art, from the general "feeling" of the book right down to it's advertising campaign, Larry Young's ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE stories are just solid. The newest installment, the pulp-inspired "Space: 1959" is no exception.

Going back in time quite a few years from the first ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE story ("Live from the Moon," and its sequel, "Cool Ed's"), SPACE: 1959 tells the story of the first Channel 7 news team. Channel 7 news team members were the protagonists of the first AIT story, and their origins are tied into the beginning of the cold war. A major television network has assembled a television news team consisting of Chet, a newspaper photographer turned cameraman, and Kit, an actor turned on-air reporter, to cover the rising fear and violence that has begun to disrupt the sedate calm that the onset of the 1950's promised.

It's a time of great social and political upheaval, and Channel 7 have been covering it to no small acclaim. That's why they've sent in Bob, a brash network executive that's there to keep an eye on our guys and make sure that they don't do anything that'll make the sponsors too nervous. Our story begins with the assembled motley crew tripping over a homicide that is definitely not as it seems, the investigation of which sends them half way around the world to a top-secret launch-pad for the first manned flight to the moon, looking for answers.

Quite a mouthful, huh?

"'Neat' is the best way to describe it."

Young has put together a really neat story. And "neat" is the best way to describe it. There's an infectious, giddy thrill that comes from reading Young's books. Cool concepts that are explored in a two-fisted, honor-and- duty kind of way. Fans of Garth Ennis' PREACHER will immediately understand; the Duke would be at home in any big-screen adaptation of Young's work. And as I said, "Space: 1959" is no exception. The story builds upon the premise and setup, eventually following through to it's logical conclusion. It's a straight-forward, solid story that leaves you eminently satisfied. Much like one of the classic "pulps" of yesteryear.

The artwork is a solid contribution from the grossly underrated Charlie Adlard. It's very rare to find an artist that can switch between noir realism and superheroic abstraction so effortlessly, not to mention knowing when to use both to maximum effect. The gritty plainness of the murder in the first issue, contrasted with the Colonel's heroic leap to save the rocket in the second. Wow. Adlard is a real gem, and his art just adds to the pulpy feel of the entire project.

That said though, like the pulps, it's upon repeated reading that the "Space: 1959" tends to lose a little something.

If "Live from the Moon" was our feature presentation, then "Space: 1959" is the 15 minute adventure serial that preceded it.

The story is just too quick to hold up over multiple readings. Compared to the dense back-story, heavy exposition, and engrossing nature of Young's first AIT mini-series, "Space: 1959" tends to feel a little flat. If "Live from the Moon" was our feature presentation, then "Space: 1959" is the 15-minute adventure serial that preceded it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but fans who grew to love and identify with the truly human characters of "LFTM" will be really disappointed by the lack of any character development in this sequel. Particularly suffering for this lack of character development is the brash, confident cargo pilot introduced late in the first issue. This is someone who has a story to tell, and unfortunately, we're never told it.

It comes down to a three issue mini-series not being big enough to contain all of the ideas and themes that Young wants to tackle. The investigations, the journalism, the real raw emotions that let us feel (and fear) for the characters in "LFTM" are just missing here, and it makes for a much less fulfilling read because of that. Particularly upon repeated re-reading.

I have a feeling though that Young wasn't trying to write a "feature presentation" with "Space: 1959." He just really wanted to write the 15-minute adventure serial, and working on that premise, it's a successful and enjoyable piece of work.

I do applaud Larry Young for taking the AIT universe and exploring different storytelling methods. Whether it's a blockbuster, a collection of short stories, or a fun pulpy ride, Young is most definitely living up to the promise of being named one of PopImage's "Comics Professionals of the Next Millenium" last December.

Recommended (with Reservations: not as involved as the first series.).

Christopher Butcher is Editor-in-Chief of PopImage.

Back

Attitude | ProFile | Industrial
Interviews | Reviews | Pi Comics
Talkback | Archives | Gallery