by Delilah S. Dawson
Illustrated by Francesco Gaston
Published on March 10, 2020 by IDW Publishing
ISBN: 1684056187
Format: eARC
Pages: 96
Genres: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction
Two Castaways. One Goal. Zero in common. Get lost in this inventive sci-fi graphic novel about an extraordinary friendship and an incredible journey home.
Like many late-21st-century teens, geeky 16-year-old Vess gets packed off to spend her summer at Space Camp--which is literally in space. Tragically, a shuttle accident sends her and the rest of the passengers careening toward a cold, frosty death among the stars. But when a gigantic, space-faring water bear miraculously rescues Vess and her beloved retro Discman, it's the beginning of an extraordinary friendship, all set to the nostalgic tunes of Vess's 1990s-heavy playlist.
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Graphic novels and Delilah S. Dawson are two of my favorite things. So as soon as I discovered Star Pig, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. Space adventures! A female lead! The absolute cutest tardigrade I’ve ever seen! It all sounded like the perfect formula. And don’t get me wrong, Star Pig was good! It just wasn’t as great as I was hoping it would be.
One thing I really did love about Star Pig was the art. Francesco Gaston captured my attention from the first panel with its vibrancy. All of the aliens looked great, the settings were detailed and fun, and did I mention that there’s an adorable tardigrade? I also thought, with the main character Vess in particular, that character facial expressions were really well done, which is a make it break it king of thing for me when it comes to comics.
The writing was a mixed bag for me on this one, which I hate to say because Delilah S. Dawson is a favorite of mine. There were many fun and cool moments in the story, but never quite enough depth to really pull me in. It even felt a bit rushed at times, which I think was a result of the focus being placed on smaller stories and conflicts as opposed to the overall story arc. I do think this could easily be remedied though in future issues, as there’s obviously more story to be told. A bit more focus on that overall story could give this series just the depth that it was lacking in this first volume.
I loved the characters, though. Vess was a fantastic lead. She was funny and snappy and just a delight to read. And there there was Theo, who is my new favorite pink tardigrade. Theo was basically a ‘very good boy’ who could talk. Easily my favorite character. Vess and Theo’s interactions were the best thing about this comic for me, which I found interesting because the other character interactions all felt a little stiff and/or rushed. Vess and Theo’s budding friendship really gave this story its heart and is what made me most want to keep reading.
Overall, I did like Star Pig. Was it the best comic I’ve read lately? No. It wasn’t even the best Delilah S. Dawson one I’ve read recently. (See: Sparrowhawk, my review of which can be found here.) But it was fun. A series of cute, funny stories with enough depth to make me keep reading but not enough to really make it stand out for me. The art alone though does make this one worth reading. I do plan to continue reading the series, though, if more are made, and with the way this volume ended I really, really hope more are planned I have high hopes for future installments. The overarching story seems to be a big one, and I think more focus on that could really take Star Pig up a tier. So I definitely recommend this one. It’s fast and fun and very easy to take in. Don’t go in with super high expectations, just go in expecting to have a bit of fun.
About Katie
I'm a twenty-something aspiring writer who really, really needs to get back to revisions. I've been reviewing books since 2014, and am determined to somehow make stories my day job. I truly think that every book out there contains something good and is meant for somebody.
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