Colonialism And Piracy In A Cosmic Setting: Astro Hustle #1
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
At the Giraud Observatory in the unaffiliated space, a strange ship arrives. The crew discover its origins and are promptly killed by a servant bot. On the Charnel Plains of Tidesky, just outside the capital of Kingston, Chen Andalou just woke up. He’s immediately found by an old associate, then law enforcement. Chen Andalou is the son of a now-deceased revolutionary, and he’s always had troubles with the law. The law just caught up with him, and he’s sentenced to death. Thankfully, a cellmate may just be his escape.
Astro Hustle #1 kicks off a tale of space piracy and failed revolutionaries, and it does so in a slow-burn fashion that introduces the reader to its main character and their history.
The opening scene on Giraud Observatory is a little rough to get through. The dialogue isn’t great and is trying a little too hard to be edgy, it leans a little too hard on T&A, and the vague ominous massacre doesn’t really add anything to the comic.
The plot comes alive when it turns its attention to Chen. He’s a fun character, and his misfortunes are pretty entertaining
The colonialism and piracy by way of space adventure aesthetic is creative and interesting. That’s another one of the strongest aspects of the book, and I look forward to where it goes.
Tom Reilly’s artwork is very good, and it brings an old-style comic vibe to the proceedings. It’s impressive and gives the book a good visual style. Ursula Decay gives the book a strong color treatment that capitalizes on the cosmic setting.
Astro Hustle #1 is a rough but overall entertaining and fun first step into this miniseries. It combines piracy, colonialism, and the cosmic odyssey to create a unique story and setting. It’s a solid read and a strong showing from writer Jai Nitz. This one gets a recommendation. Feel free to check it out.
Astro Hustle #1 comes to us from writer Jai Nitz, artist and cover artist Tom Reilly, color artist Ursula Decay, and letterer Crank!.
