When your best character is a small alien dog you never know exactly if that’s a good or bad thing for your comic. Let me say right up front, it’s not that the #0 issue of “Seven Dead Stars” is bad at all. In fact, I would dare to say it’s entertaining. I had a lot of fun with this issue but sadly it isn’t as nuanced as it’s writing team would like you to believe (at least for now) but then again does it need to be! Basically this is a pilot issue of a comic, a prologue of a series I wasn’t given too much to get me to want to read the actual comic. That being said, what “Seven Dead Stars” does offer is a great relationship between our two mains, Unsecret and Form, with fantastic art that is truly epic at times.
Our two previously mentioned mains make up the classic buddy comedy trope of an odd couple that are united under a common goal, even if we don’t get to know what that goal is by the end of this issue.
“Unsecret” is a helmeted mercenary who is tactical, cold and logic based. (Think Spock from Star Trek, or Hermione from Harry Potter) While “Form” is a “go with the flow” human renegade who is out to have a good time in classic space opera fashion (Han Solo from Star Wars, Captain Kirk from Star Trek, Star Lord from Guardians. Somehow all of those had the word star in their title…wow)
Pairing these two personalities is a recipe for good storytelling and its a really clever and well done writing trick, since we as the readers even without knowing much backstory about the 2 characters understand their relationship and their general views on life. Although I wanted more from the characters and that’s my issue with this issue. The first scene of the issue is literally them arguing as the ship they are piloting crashes. Once our duo is officially grounded they run into the natives of this planet and the issue takes off from there.
The execution of the tale is sound. The pacing of the quick witted dialogue written by Grammy-nominated Unsecret and DJ Form and incredible art by Cliff Richards (Batman, Justice League, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) makes the issue pop with a confident yet predictable flair. While reading I was able to piece together the twists way before it happened but the book does a great job in not wasting the readers time on over complicating things.
The one genuine surprise is how much I fell in love with a little alien cat/dog thing which says a lot about the strength of the writing of the 2 main characters when a random alien animal can steal the whole comic from them. They simply aren’t that interesting. They are 2 archetypes that we have seen many times before but it is still none the less, very effective.
The point of this issue was to introduce the readers to our characters, their vibes, and the world of “Seven Dead Stars” and they did so in an action packed first outing that while I can’t say if I’ll enjoy the next one… I am definitely intrigued and excited to discover what journey this series wants to take me on.
Issue 0 of SEVEN DEAD STARS: Gets a 3.5/5
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Seven Dead Stars #0
Unsecret Comics
Created by: Unsecret and Form
Written by: Unsecret and Form
Pencils and Inks by: Cliff Richards
Logo by: Silvano Beltramo
Colors by: Michael Bartolo
Letters and Production Design by: Kathryn S. Renta
Reviewed by: Lloyd The Writer
Summary: Offbeat heroes Unsecret and Form crash land on a mysterious planet where things aren’t always as they seem. Although the natives appear friendly, there are clues that suggest something more sinister might be at play. As the tension builds, their only true friend is a curious blue dog harboring secrets of his own. What they discover along the way will not only alter the course of their lives, but the future of the entire universe.
