Since it was announced that Brian K. Vaughan had a new series coming with Fiona Staples providing the art, this day has felt as if it would never arrive.

The Good

With so many long-running comic book series on sale each week, it can be hard to make the decision in adding another title to your pull list. We're seeing more and more #1s popping up each week and that can sometimes make the choice easier. Knowing that creators such as Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples are involved seals the deal. That was all it took to get my ears to perk up and know I would be getting this comic when it was released.

The two do give us a brand new world. Literally. With a mix of sci-fi, action, mystery, romance and suspense, there will be something for everyone. Even robot sex.

As a first issue, we need to become aware of who the characters are and what the situation is. It doesn't come across as a straight origin issue and that's a good and bad thing. We're thrown immediately into the action, witnessing the birth of the child of the main characters, Marko and Alana, aliens from different races. The story is set during a war and it's all about survival. As it progresses, we are introduced to other players that are bound to cause problems for the new parents.

There is a tiny feeling of being overwhelmed as we take in all the (beautiful) visuals and try to make sense of what is going on. As mentioned, we are thrown right into the action so knowing why there is a war and who exactly is involved slowly comes out during the issue.

Staples' art immediately establishes the look of this universe. The soft colors enhance the feel given on each panel. There are several different species shown and none of them feel like generic aliens often seen in sci-fi comics. As far as this being a sci-fi story, it is and it isn't. There definitely is a touch of it but there is also plenty of fantasy elements that shouldn't be a turn off to those opposed to sci-fi.

Of course it should be mentioned how much content you get. This first issue has a price of $2.99 and you get nearly fifty pages of story. If nothing else, it's a bargain you could easily take a chance on. You will be happy that you picked this up.

The Bad

I can be pretty opened minded but I have to admit robot sex seems a little weird. Robots are people too (well, not really) and they deserve some...happy moments as well. It should be noted that this is a mature title. That does allow the creators to cut loose as they see fit but unfortunately limits the availability to some readers.

While I did love this issue, it wasn't exactly a perfect one. I mentioned the tiny bits of confusion. I do agree with the decision of not laying everything out in a plain manner but it makes it a little harder to judge the series based on one issue. I have no doubt that things will only get better from here.

The Verdict

We have something new and something different. It's also something with a lot of potential. There was a lot of hype surrounding this title prior to its release. Some of that excitement stayed with me as I was reading. It is a first issue and has to introduce us to all the characters, situations and locations but the choice was to do so as the story progresses. This could cause a little confusion for some but knowing who is behind this title, we just need to be a little patient and enjoy it all as it happens. Be aware that this is a mature title and your little brother or sister probably shouldn't be checking this out. It's great to get a new series that fills you with awe. This is just the beginning and I'm already looking forward to a long run. It's comics like this that will put a smile on your face.