Comic Review: Sky Pirates of Neo Terra #1

Sky Pirates of Neo Terra, is a new Image Comics series written by Josh Wagner with artwork by Camilla d’Errico. Sky Pirate of Neo Terra is based on the upcoming Nintendo DS/Wii game of the same name, and is set in Neo Terra, a world of forgotten technology and natural magic, where reckless young glide-wing pilot, Billy Boom Boom, must outwit the Pirate King to stop him from ushering in a new Dark Age. Click here to see a preview!

Sky Pirates of Neo Terra is an optimistic take on the concept of a post-apocalyptic world. Ages after devastation, Neo Terra is a world reborn, thriving, lush, and idyllic. Most of the characters exhibit a deep and almost naïve innocence. They have developed tribal societies pieced together by natural magic and bits of technology found like fossils in the ruins of the old world. The comic series takes a small sub-plot from the game and fleshes it out into a living, breathing story. Billy is the hero in both, and his best friend Ricket’s father has been kidnapped by a renegade tribe known as the Forgotten. Saving Ricket’s dad is top priority, but we get a convergence of several main characters and their inner struggles, while exploring the concept of hidden evil attempting to exploit a dark legacy that hides under the surface of innocence.

This first issue opens on a scene of our protagonist, Billy Boom Boom, locked in battle with a giant wolf-like behemoth, then, as the monster bear down on Billy, the action switches back to a scene from earlier in the day…

We are then presented with a gorgeous image of vast open field of green, stretching as far as the eye can see. On the ground, people are readying flying machines around a race start-line, and we soon learn that this is the morning of the qualifying race for the Glidewing championships. It’s at this point we meet two of the other key characters from the series, Suma and Ricket, who are both waiting for Billy, who is late for the pre-race inspection. Ricket is a young bespectacled boy, who’s father, the legendary glidewing engineer, was recently kidnapped by the Pirate King. Suma is a pretty young girl, who is completely enamored with Billy, and when she sees Billy flirting with a fellow racer, the beautiful Rema, she loses her mind!

Soon the race starts, and it is a pretty tight competition between Billy and Rena, I won’t tell you who wins, because that would spoil the fun. However, when the race is over and everyone is enjoying the post race merriment, a scream for help is heard. Billy and Suma rush to help, not really thinking of the consequences, and are met with the threat of a menacing giant wolf monster, bringing us back round to the opening scene of the comic.

Josh Wagner’s script was incredibly strong and he manages to create something amazingly interesting out of the characters and environments of the video game. The characters of Suma, Ricket and Billy are incredibly well defined, and fleshed out beautifully; good characterization is something that is often lacking in licensed properties like this, but Wagner has done a perfect job. This is very much an introductory issue, getting us used to the world of Neo Terra, and the characters that inhabit it, but the foundations for the overall plot are laid down, in the form of Ricket’s kidnapped father, and a few other seeds are planted, which we will no doubt see flourish in future issues.

The artwork, where to start… it’s all just so incredibly beautiful… Camilla d’Errico is an amazingly talented lady, and she has really gone all out on this title. Camilla’s art style is somewhat inspired by Japanese Manga, and is really a perfect look for a comic based on a video game, with big bold linework and bright colours, which really help to make the world of Neo Terra come to life. Camilla was actually involved in the creation of these characters, long before they were destined to be part of a game, so she brings a wonderfully personal touch to the artwork that really sings through. The race scene is particularly impressive, and she does a great job managing to convey the feeling of motion, and the fast-paced neck-and-neck race for the finish line will keep you on the edge of your seat. Camilla’s greatest strength here is her character work though, and she has an uncanny talent for conveying emotion via a character’s facial expressions that is next to none.

Sky Pirates of Neo Terra was a really enjoyable read, and works really well as an all-ages comic. This is definitely something that I would feel comfortable given a child to read, but there was also plenty in here for readers of any age! It has a great plot, a tight script, and some jaw-dropping artwork that has to be seen to be believed. Don’t worry though, you don’t need to have played the game to understand what is going on, in fact the game hasn’t even been released yet. Sky Pirates of Neo Terra is a wonderful little story, featuring interesting characters, set in a refreshingly original world.