Review: Sidereal Apogee

Four and a half centuries into the future, mankind's place in the galaxy has shifted vastly. With the Earth's atmosphere infected with radiation and disease, most people now live in the space colonies scattered about the solar system.

So begins the cyberpunk anthology series Sidereal Apogee, created by writer Phoebe Xavier and a diverse team of artists. The reader is led on a ride that jumps from place to place and at different points in time within the vast, lawless arena of the future system.

Cyborgs, psychos, dinosaurs, cool spacecraft, unfeasibly huge weapons, scantily-clad heroines and, of course, huge amounts of violence ensue. The prime directive here is to have fun, and the creators do so with abandon. Some characters pop up in subsequent stories but mostly each chapter is a standalone set upon the sprawling canvas laid out in the premise.

The pages are mostly monochrome, but with touches of colour here and there for effect. It gives the whole thing a bit of a retro feel, which is always intriguing in sci-fi, and works well with the over-arching cyberpunk theme. The shades of grey do nothing to dampen the energy within; the characters and stories are nevertheless vibrant and engaging.

Artists showcased here are Octavia Moon (covers of the first two issues), Jorge Luis Gabotto (cover of issue 5), and inside:

Issue 1:

Kingdom Ciulla ('The Scavenger Debate' - cyborgs vs T-Rex)

Bayron Calderon ('Quiet Storm' - a serial killer invades a secret lab on Ganymede)

Issue 2:

Edwin Rwothomio ('Crashdown Uluru', sky-diving android vs cowboy scavenger...

Cheunchin Bunnag ('Pink Fuzz': a vatgrown cloneslave cocktail waitress with rabbit DNA has a dangerous secret stashed away...

Kingdom Ciulla ('Glunk' : a little girl's video game ogre helps out with a real-life monster... 

Issues 3, 4 and 5 are completed and will soon be available...

If you like your sci-fi in short, sharp shocks this is an excellent choice. Xavier's punchy vignettes keep the reader hooked by jumping around in time and space, some of the stories are linked, but she keeps you guessing as to how and what will happen next. The band of artists are a varied bunch but all share an expressive style that suits the spaghetti western in space vibe. It is consciously lowbrow and tongue-in-cheek with OTT gore and clichés aplenty, but with the odd cerebral highlight here and there (a paleontological mystery solved; a mysterious interplanetary AI lurking in the shadows of cyberspace) just to throw you off track when you think you've figured it all out.

Each issue also features a lot of bonus art and background information on the artists and the processes leading up to publication, which is fascinating glimpse into the world of independent creators, plus feedback from fans. Their imagination and enthusiasm is infectious and these insights show just how much time and toil went into the end products which look so effortless. It also teases you with hints of stories and protagonists yet to come...

Sidereal Apogee is a perfect example of the independent comic community making its mark by creating quality work that entertains and inspires. I look forward to seeing where the odyssey takes us next.  

Sidereal Apogee on IndyPlanet

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Zak Webber

infinitydragonfly.com

scificomicartist@gmail.com

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