Low #1

by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini

Rick Remender has really been showing his range across his indie titles as well as his Marvel work. After recently launching two very successful and very popular series through Image Comics, Remender now launches a brand-new series that looks to delve into an area he has yet to explore. At first glance the opening sequence of this new title may feel a bit like Black Science. And while this new landscape is as eccentric and developed as that of Black Science, Low stands apart.

Early on, readers are introduced to the husband and wife leads of this series. Johl and Stel offer a glimpse at both their personality and their relationship in an early conversation about their work and family. The conversation feels natural. Despite the strange environment readers will recognize the familiarity of this interaction and the fondness makes the individuals relatable almost instantly. At the same time, Remender drops seeds in a very casual way throughout this back-and-forth. With no context readers will find their imaginations flaring.

As the first issue progresses, Johl introduces his daughters to the helmsuit and the family legacy. Readers learn a bit more about this new world, though it isn’t exactly completely new. The family loads into their vehicle and take off past the city limits. It is clear that this is a first for the girls and it is an example of how Remender uses the construction of the characters to explain certain elements of the story for the benefit of the audience. Additionally, from a brief interaction aboard this craft as well as another rather short one early, Remender establishes some personality traits and differences between the sisters. The moments are subtle, but they do well to hint at the characteristics of these new characters.

Artist Greg Tocchini’s work is quite breathtaking. The visual makeup of this rich new landscape is stunning to see any reason alone to buy this book. Tocchini plays with structure and provides a slightly loose approach. Some readers unfamiliar with his style may find certain sequences challenging to discern. On the whole, though, this book is quite gorgeous. With a few clues and lines of dialogue in this first issue paired with the afterword, readers will earn that this new environment is actually not too foreign. Remender explains where the inspiration of this new story comes from. In some ways this incredibly dark and bleak motivator is a strange spark for what is an overall optimistic story. The character and voice of Stel is quite new for Remender as he admits himself. It is exciting to see what this science-fiction story may look like from her perspective. Yet again, Remender launches a title that is rather impressive. With so much teased and a great cliffhanger ending it is going to be a long 30 days.