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A review by maiakobabe
Scars by Sylvain Runberg
3.0
Orbital vol 1: Scars is a sci-fi comic very much in the vein of Star Wars. In the 23rd century, the human race is admitted for the first time to the intergalactic, multiracial peacekeeping organization which overlooks the galaxy. This story follows the first human cadet allowed in, and the other enforcing officer he is partnered with- both of whom soon realize that humans are not welcomed by all into this new alliance.
This book is extremely beautiful and well drawn, but there is one aspect of the art that I would like to complain about here for a minute. Why, oh why, do all of the extraterrestrials have to be basically humanoids with a few extra arms and blue or orange skin? I know why they usually are in movies- budget reasons, cheaper to have aliens played by humans (though with CGI that's not the excuse it used to be). But this is a COMIC. The illustrator could have drawn the aliens whatever way he wanted! It costs nothing more to draw them as bowls of liquid, clouds of gas, intelligent plants, or mountain sized slabs of sentient silicon. And yet, sadly, pretty much every non-human in this book is... basically a human with weird eyes or fur or tentacles instead of arms. Very well draw, mind you- just not very different from us.
This book is extremely beautiful and well drawn, but there is one aspect of the art that I would like to complain about here for a minute. Why, oh why, do all of the extraterrestrials have to be basically humanoids with a few extra arms and blue or orange skin? I know why they usually are in movies- budget reasons, cheaper to have aliens played by humans (though with CGI that's not the excuse it used to be). But this is a COMIC. The illustrator could have drawn the aliens whatever way he wanted! It costs nothing more to draw them as bowls of liquid, clouds of gas, intelligent plants, or mountain sized slabs of sentient silicon. And yet, sadly, pretty much every non-human in this book is... basically a human with weird eyes or fur or tentacles instead of arms. Very well draw, mind you- just not very different from us.