One of my Kickstarters came through right as I was giving final exams. So I've been sitting on it for a few days. Kinda wish I got to it sooner.

In a dark distant future, humanity clings to survival far from Earth which was destroyed by a hostile alien race. Aspiring pilots like Angel Squadron team up to participate in the Libor Station's elite tournament, with the winners going on to the military. Think of it as Ender's Game Battle School and Elite Dangerous mashed together. During the competition, tragedy hits the team and the leader must decide what is the best way forward. Will he quit the squad or face his fears?

The artwork is amazingly detailed, yet somewhat problematic. I really enjoy the diverse character designs and the special effects, but the space fighter action is a bit trickier to determine what's going on. I think it'd look better in an animated form rather than the page, but we'll see if it goes in that direction. I really liked the paneling, especially during the spider mech challenge. 

The creators even threw in a custom soundtrack that seems interesting but a little bit tricky to access. I got it working on Tidal but you might have more luck elsewhere. The little I was able to hear got me interested. 

You can find this and other issues in the series at raecomics.com. I will cover episode 2 next week.

It's time to talk about issue 2, but in a surprise, there isn't as much to talk about. 

2 months after the contest, Fox is still moping and Legz is still recovering from the loss of her legs. Hmm, you're probably thinking of something very popular and familiar. Anyway, the Eurkayan enemy has launched an attack against a vital fuel depot and the Angels are called in along with the rest of the fleet. Unfortunately they prove lacking and the Angels have to save the day. 

Have you ever played StarFox? It was a really polygon-style game on N64. I never had that system so I almost never played it. This story feels like I'm reading a Starfox comic and I don't know how I feel about that.

Art remains the same. I don't think the team changed much but they seem to have nailed the character art down pat. My only problem with the art remains the issue with flight action. I think there needs to be a slower, more defined pacing to it. It just looks like a buncha lines that don't quite match the character's descriptions. Anyway, the next issue will be mainly on the ground, so they'll have time to work on it.

You can find this and other issues in the series at raecomics.com. I will cover episode 3 next week.

I didn't like the cover since it was a 2-page splash so I chose this page instead. I think it conveys the action coming in this episode.

The crew that got introduced last episode gets a flashback issue. We learn about the Calvary, a little bit about their origins, and their fated mission that changed the fate of humanity and the war itself. Seems like some scientists were working on Eukarya DNA with the goal of producing hybrids. Morphio has been sent to stop them...and cover up the misdeeds of Libor. While at the enemy base he discovers a complete hybrid of a different sort, and decides not to give in to command. Could this explain something important about Fox's team the Angels?

The art is really good, but the introduction of so many characters puts a strain on the page. None of them died because they all need to be there for the current story arc, but giving everyone lines seemed to drag the story out. The ship artwork still feels polygonal like StarFox64 but I think that's the effect the art team's going for. 

The story is the biggest issue but I like the bonus character at the end. The story feels deep yet cliche. I'm hoping they make improvement and provide greater depth in future storylines. 

You can find this and other issues in the series at raecomics.com.