DEPARTURE
DEADWORLD
May 2002 £1
20 pages A5 B&W
On Titan, Reese recounts to Kally a tale of the shocking discovery he made on the edges of the solar system. While back on Earth a genetech illegal held in police custody reveals that she is more than she appears...
DEADWORLD
May 2002 £1
20 pages A5 B&W
An off-world miner makes a life-changing discovery at the edge of the solar system. Capable Dark Weather creator Tony McGee swaps soap opera for sci-fi in an intense 20-page mini-comic that confidently weaves disparate elements into a compelling mystery. The artwork isn't as refined as McGee's best, but the assured script intrigues.
7/10
7/10
Tony McGee is already a shining light in the small press firmament and Frontiers does nothing to tarnish his reputation. Structured in two parts, the first section effectively contemplates thwarted dreams and the little guy's futile struggle against the mega-corps. The second is perhaps less absorbing but poses more questions which subsequent issues will undoubtedly answer.
8/10
8/10
This was the only issue with two strips. I had planned to do strips of varying lengths, but the rest all ended up around 20 pages. The simple black cover might look like a 5 minute job, but it must have been eye catching, as this is my biggest selling issue to date. The first book had black covers with white logos, and the second vice versa, as the first book takes place at night, the second in the daytime. Sure as night follows Day.
The space adventurer clutching the photo of an unknown woman became an asteroid miner, which like a lot of aspects of Frontiers, tied in with a throwaway idea in Angel Nebula. The worst thing imaginable in the new frontier of space is to find there's nothing much out there, just resources to be stripmined. If society was at its peak in Angel Nebula, it's in rapid decline by the time of Frontiers. Originally Kally was going to report in about Reese at the end of the story, but that just didn't fit so I dropped it. the symbol is a much better transition between the two strips.
I've always thought as a concept telepathy doesn't really work. How can you have a conversation with someone when they could be reading or influencing your mind? Which is where this story came from, although it did take some inspiration from the opening interrogation scene in Blade Runner. Two people in a room, one trying to convince the other the world doesn't exist. What more do you need? It's a bit talky for one of my scripts and doesn't quite pull it off, but it foreshadows rather nicely. I avoided naming Day here as I wanted to keep it a surprise when she pops up in #3.
