Man From Space #1

Written by: Laura Hong-Tuason, CC2K Comics Editor

Man From Space is Seinfield meets Tiny Titans. Okay, maybe that’s just me, but allow me to explain myself after this brief line break.

Writer/Illustrator: Marc Jackson

Man From Space is simply what it sounds like. It’s a random story about a man from space who crash lands on a planet that initially contains nothing of interest. Fortunately he’s not alone. He’s got his fish sidekick, Michael, to kick it with. After conversing together about subjects and possible origin stories that currently make no sense, but will probably come together later down the line, they meet an alien named Whemblo and a teleporting robot named Hector. This is when things get weirder and the real story begins, but that’s also the note in which issue #1 ends.

Going back to my earlier comment about the TV show Seinfield, Man From Space is similar in that it is completely random and nonsensical. The characters from both media wander about without any clear goal, destination, or progress. It’s this structure of storytelling that makes Man From Space both fun and lighthearted, yet also confusing as a first issue.

The story starts out strong and engaging, opening with a joke about why a spaceship would be hurtling toward a planet “seemingly out of control”. Then it gets strange, with the unnamed space man having what looks like (to the reader) a one-way conversation with his fish. Now don’t confuse “strange” with “bad” because it’s not a totally bad thing. It is actually quite amusing, but gets a bit old a few pages in only because we don’t know what Michael is saying, and why the readers are suddenly launched into an unclear origin story about the man from space, Dr. Brain, and a short fella with a mustache. If anything, it’s the awkward unsaid transitions that muddle the story.

Regardless, the randomness is positively wacky and entertaining and I do enjoy the dialogue between the space man and Michael. The seemingly random storytelling does work, but it only fails to fully work for this first issue because it doesn’t express what Man From Space is generally about.

In addition, I compared Man From Space to the all-age comic Tiny Titans. Now Tiny Titans is random too, but unlike Seinfield with its adult characters, it’s about the adorable kid versions of DC Comic’s sidekicks going about their day. They’re fun characters for all ages and that’s what Man From Space comparably brings to the table. There’s a plethora of characters with unique and zany personalities to enjoy and I for one am a big fan of Michael. I don’t know how a character that cannot talk audibly for the reader can be so wonderfully awesome. Moreover, the art is cartoony and full of bright colors, which is a plus considering the type of story it’s aiming to be. This is why I see Man From Space as being a slight mashup of Seinfield and Tiny Titans. Of course, the comic is its own unique thing, but those two media came to mind while reading it.

Man From Space #1 is off to a good start and I hope to learn more about the man from space as the story unfolds. I mean, does he have powers or is he just a man in a cape? I guess we’ll find out later! Don’t forget to follow Marc Jackson on Twitter @MARCmakescomics.

3.0 out of 5.0