As far as comic books go; This one was pretty damn glorious.
Words are a powerful tool to a writer, but sometimes there are days when mere words can’t properly explain an experience. That is the case with Space Riders #1 from Black Mask Studios. If you will recall I talked about this studio last week when I covered We Can Never Go Home#1, and once again I’m talking about the studio as it comes out swinging again with this book. Space Riders #1 is a wild, psychedelic ride that kicks the entire comics industry right in the ass.
There is no other studio out there right now that is taking the kind of risks Black Mask is with the kind of work they are putting out, and no other publisher that has as wide a range of books. If you aren’t following along with the studio and what they are doing, you are clearly missing out. Space Riders #1 is far more than a comic book; It’s an experience.
The book calls to mind the legacy that was EC Comics and its wild art style. Artist Alexis Ziritt does a marvelous job infusing life into every panel in a way no other book has done in recent memory. Space Riders #1 looks like is was pulled from some vortex beyond space and time with its wild use of colors and style. For a space adventure it’s refreshing to see things pop so much as opposed to keeping things dark and brooding like so many others would do.
The writing of Fabian Rangel Jr. is also just as insane as the artwork that supports it. Space Riders #1 tells the tale of Captain… Err, Capitan Peligro as he pilots his skull shaped ship, The Santa Muerte. Things quickly go tits up when he is stabbed in the eye while outside the ship manning the cannons. Yes, it’s a crazy thing to read, but it’s only the beginning of our journey down the rabbit hole that is Space Riders.
Our hero is rescued and taken back to base. A giant white tiger by the name of Colonel Conley relieves him of duty for a year and our story really gets under way. You really need to come into Space Riders #1 with an open mind and be ready to have a lot of old-fashioned fun. The book doesn’t ask a lot out of you, but it still manages to pull the reader in. This really feels like I’m getting a front row seat into a fever dream that the books creators had, and for that I love it.
The Mexican spaghetti space western (that’s the best I can label it) tale that this book weaves is a joy to experience. Being of Hispanic origin myself, it’s great to see a bad-ass, take no shit, ass-kicking Spanish anti hero getting the lead. The fact that he has the balls to correct anyone that calls him Captain is also refreshing. Throw in a talking robot droid, a deeply religious baboon first mate, a space ship shaped like a skull, some space bikers, and you have a comic that absolutely can not be missed.
If you are looking for something completely out there, or are a classic fan of those old pulp comics, Space Riders #1 from Black Mask Studios is for you.
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