Review - Supernaut #1 (@215ink)

"I'm back. Everything is doomed!"

The universe is a lot bigger than a lot of people realize, meaning there's plenty of room for interstellar shenanigans. Amidst all the travel and locations, people still need to make a living. Some people do so by way of being thieves like in Supernaut #1 from 215 Ink. The issue is written and illustrated by Michael David Nelsen.

A 21st-Century cosmic hero myth, this is SUPERNAUT! Reality-hopping thieves join the newly ascended consciousness of Astronaut Stephen Haddon - now known as the Supernaut - pulling trans-dimensional capers across the Macroverse! Strange artifacts on the Moon, meeting God and stealing a map to the land of the dead from a secret pyramid beneath the Pentagon. A mystical, cosmic, sci-fi adventure like no other!

Nelsen has a lot going on in Supernaut #1 and his script echoes that. The issue is written in a way that feels as if it's jumping through time and space--much like its characters. Nelsen does an admirable job of keeping it all together, but there are points where things get a little confusing. At its core, Supernaut #1 is really an intergalactic heist story and Nelsen mixes things up by jumping around in time quite a bit. There is a much larger sense of faith and religion pervasive throughout the issue as Nelsen attempts to infuse the book with pretty heady material that elevates it above being more than just a caper story.

The artwork in Supernaut #1 is pretty erratic--in a positive way. Nelsen illustrates the characters with an exaggerated approach that fits the relatively cosmic nature of the book. There are some instances where Nelsen makes the character look alarmingly realistic with sharply rendered lines and bold poses. For most of the issue that approach works, but there are some places where Nelsen's style is a little too vague and doesn't really give the reader a good glimpse into what's happening. There's also a somewhat ambiguous form to the artwork that taps into the cosmic aspect of the book, as Nelsen doesn't rely on formal panels to define the pages.

Supernaut #1 demands a lot from the reader, but the payoff in the end could be worth it. The Supernaut is a character joining with a series of other characters, all of whom fit the somewhat traditional stereotypes necessary for a crime caper book. Nelsen's script is very heady and strives for something grander than just a normal narrative. His artwork is pretty funky and a good fit for the narrative approach. Supernaut #1 is a very ambitious first issue that's setting the stage for a much grander storyline.

Supernaut #1 is in stores now.