A Girl And Her Tardigrade: Star Pig #1 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
A girl is on a trip to space camp…in actual space! She and her peers are on a spaceship that is approaching the camp when unexpected turbulence occurs, and the ship is destroyed, leaving the inhabitants to be sucked out into the vacuum of space. However, the girl survives thanks to a giant tardigrade (a microanimal that can live in the most extreme environments known to humanity) that sucks the girl into itself. The tardigrade is unsure of how to explain itself to the girl, so it calls itself a Star Pig. The Star Pig informs the girl that scavengers are on the way, and the girl passes out from stress.
Star Pigs #1 begins the strange and delightful adventure of a girl and her giant tardigrade. It begins with tragedy, but a companionship comes of it unlike anything you’ve likely seen in a comic before.
Needless to say, the Star Pig himself is delightful. He’s huge, awkward, and communicates through telepathy. He’s uncertain of his identity, but he is aware of how he came to be like this.
The girl, whose only identity in this comic is “Nerd Bird” is relatable, if a slightly annoying at times. She’s given a strange mixture of contemporary idioms like “OMG” and “totes” mixed with the odd “cram” and “beck” to replace the more common “crap” and “heck.” That, mixed with the panicky nature of your average teenager, makes her a little annoying at times. That said, she isn’t at all unlikable, and I do look forward to seeing how her character develops over the course of the story.
Francesco Gaston’s artwork is good, and his depiction of the titular Space Pig is equal parts disgusting and adorable. It’s a strangely cute creature despite its fleshy mass, puckered head, and numerous appendages. The style of our teenage protagonist is cool too, and the facial marking is a nice touch. Sebastian Cheng’s color art is solid and gives the book a nice chromatic balance.
Star Pig #1 is a charming first issue for this odd intergalactic adventure. Our hero meets the titular Star Pig, and the two already begin developing an unlikely friendship. This comic definitely earns itself a recommendation. Check it out.
Star Pig #1 comes to us from writer Delilah S. Dawson, artist Francesco Gaston, color artist Sebastian Cheng, letterer Shawn Lee, cover artist Sara Richard, and variant cover artist Francesco Gaston with Sebastian Cheng.
Final Score: 7/10
