United Free Worlds # 1
Writer: Blake Leibel; Pencils & Inks: Jason Raines; Colors: Jesse Aronson, Michael Montaine;
Fantasy Prone Comics
Before addressing what I see as some of the problems with United Free Worlds, let me make very clear that I enjoyed this book. It’s a big ball of fun with very high production quality, so check it out if you see it on your local comic store’s shelves. And with that little disclaimer, it’s on to some of the problems with the story followed by why it’s worth reading.
United Free Worlds begins with a new planet suddenly appearing in our solar system near Earth. Humans realize that it is a new world with and quickly move in to exploit its resources. Once the new world is colonized and an industrial system built, the original inhabitants attack the humans.
Read the previous section again. Not only does a new planet appear next to Earth, where the tidal forces would rip the planet apart, but the natives wait until after the invading humans are already well-entrenched before doing anything to drive them off. It’s one thing to ask for some suspension of disbelief, but it’s quite another to ask readers to accept that people would behave not like people.
The art is a bit problematic at times, also. Some of the human figures are a bit off, and nearly all of the faces look very cartoony in contrast to the more realistic machinery and backgrounds. The eyes of characters and other creatures do not always reflect the emotion described elsewhere on the page. The artist could use some additional training and experience with figures and facial expressions.
While this issue has some problems, much is good, too. The machinery, backgrounds, and armored dinosaurs (yes, armored dinosaurs!) are fantastic and show some real training and practice on the part of the artist. “This comic has armored dinosaurs,” you ask? Not only dinosaurs, but also whales with lasers, space battles, giant bugs attacked by tiny humanoids, robot cage matches, and a huge two-page spread of the same dinosaurs in a battle with modern military equipment. It has all the fun insanity of the best craziness from the Silver and Bronze ages.
These guys also printed on high-quality paper with a cover that’s a mix of matte and glossy. That’s not cheap and shows the real pride the entire artistic team takes in putting out quality work.
United Free Worlds, while flawed, is worth checking out simply for some crazy and fun comics stories. Hopefully we will see more from these guys as they grow and improve in their storytelling and artwork.
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