Cave Carson Has An Interstellar Eye #1 Brings Us Character Moments & Ongoing Experimentation

By Jordan Jennings

Cave Carson Has an Interstellar Eye #1 picks up following the events of the Milk Wars with Cave and his daughter Chloe meeting with an old friend and popular rock musician, Star Adam. The reunion is cut tragically short as Cave and company trade their underground adventures for a cosmic one.
The writing of Jon Rivera is solid as we are given a quick introduction to the larger than life character of Star Adam. Cave Carson Has an Interstellar Eye #1 uses frequent flashbacks to fill in the reader, but it is not a detriment. Rivera is careful in the set up to gags and flashbacks that prove to be seamless. While not much happens in terms of the main plot, which is billed in solicits as a journey into a black hole, there is a lot of character work. The losses are starting to pile up on Cave as he witnesses all of his old friends pass on. Rivera hits an emotional beat that is raw and touching.

The relationship between Cave and his Daughter, Chloe, is the centerpiece to this story. Often it leads to some gags about teenagers and the origin of Chloe’s name. Which is nice, but is humor in a comic where we witness a death. It doesn’t detract from the moment. Instead it lightens up the book.
At the core of the book, it is still an adventure comic and there is adventure to be had. It is just starting in earnest. There are excellent character moments that would make any reader want to pick up more issues. It is new-reader friendly, as well. I know that for a fact, as I haven’t read a single Cave Carson book until this issue.

The art by Michael Avon Oeming is dynamic as always. There are some legitimate psychedelic moments in the issue as we are introduced to Star Adam. It is a triply style that works fantastically. The line work is clean and distinct and doesn’t get too heavy at times.
The colors by Nick Filardi are vibrant and cosmic. They complement the intent of this book and the art style of Oeming. Some of the pages look stunning and the worthy of print copy. The use of purple during the Star Adam scenes, for instance, creates not only the psychedelic feel they are reaching for, but conveys a sense of regal importance. This being is a literal rock god. He is David Bowie meets Prince with a dash of Hendrix. The colors really set the mood for these scenes.
Oeming’s layouts are dynamic and free flowing. At times the transcend the format of the page, pushing it beyond its limits. The panels are sometimes laid out in spirals of a cosmic singularity, sometimes they are a play on traditional grids. However, the layouts may be difficult to follow for more traditional readers. Not that Young Animal is an imprint that will necessarily attract traditional readers, as the imprint is designed to appeal to the readers who want the more absurd and nonconformist books.

Overall, Cave Carson Has an Interstellar Eye #1 is a psychedelic book that focuses on the characters and their own internal and external struggles. There is a heart to this book that can’t be ignored. The art is dynamic and free flowing sometimes to a fault, but that is to be expected from a more experimental and self-described “weird” line of books.
Cave Carson Has an Interstellar Eye #1 released on March 21st, 2018 from DC/Young Animal.