Action, Adventure And Aviation: Reviewing Elsewhere #1

 

 
It’s well worth reading Jay Faerber’s behind-the-scenes thoughts on the inception of this series to better understand the world in which we discover our hero, Amelia Earhart, before embarking on reading this book. Amelia, took to the skies way back in 1937, in what would become her fateful final flight around the globe. She never returned. It’s one of those modern mysteries that oft-times still have people’s interest piqued. I mean, where did she go?
Well, it would seem she found herself transported into a fantasy world as beautifully designed by Turkish artist, Sumeyye Kesgin. In fact, it is because Faerber found her work online that made him determined to work with her and it would seem, based on the notes he includes at the back of this first issue, she was given free reign to create a world of wonder. And a world of wonder it is too; full of floating platforms, rocky desert landscapes and rural living, with the locals relying on flying creatures called steeds, to carry them around the vast vistas of this elsewhere realm. An environment in which an aviation expert such as Earhart could fit into seamlessly. And so she does, befriending and bonding with the steed she inherits in record time.

In Earhart, while we do have our fish out of water, it’s pleasing to see that she adjusts quickly to this new world and so the story can get under way, and by the end of this promising, pacey debut, we have our main cast, the big bad – Lord Kragen – and a fleshed out world that Earhart takes in her stride, as all true adventurers should do. And, she may not be the only human round these here parts either.
By the end of this first issue my interest in both Earhart and the growing mysteries around this new world were piqued enough for me to want to read on. It is a world of huge potential, I feel, and over the coming issues I look forward to seeing more of this place and its inhabitants.  Especially Lord Kragen. He may only appear fleetingly in this issue, but in his design, I feel we have the makings of a classic comic book despot. Move over Mud King, there’s a new villain in town, who seems to have more than a passing knowledge of the world Earhart has come from, unfazed as he is by Earhart’s plane; an alien artefact in this dimension.

Add to this artwork (with something of the Mike Weiringo about her art, which is an apt fit for this kind of all-ages adventure) the colorwork of Ron Riley, which suggests a night-time setting with its use of blues and purples hues throughout this first book, and what you have is the beginnings of a cracking adventure with a strong-headed, confident but not cocky female lead straight out of the history books.  A great book for all ages with action, adventure and aviation!
Elsewhere #1 is out now from Image Comics.