Turn off the Lights

Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier #1

If there's one thing that's hard to find, it's good sci-fi! Thankfully with TV shows and movies breathing new life into the genre its forced other mediums to take it up a notch. Critical Millennium is no exception as it antes up and then raises. It's a little bit Event Horizon mixed with some Cowboy Bebop and a dash of a post apocalyptic future in which nearly every animal is extinct.

Man has finally created a space ship that is faster than light and designed to reach every corner of the universe. The issue begins with a journal entry from th e captain of the ship as he sits at his post on the bridge. The days and years jump as the captain narrates the ships numerous disasters. Space is more dangerous then any of them knew. The logs end as the captain is removed from his ship by a gigantic space creature.

https://www.entertainmentfuse.com/images/Critical Millennium 001_Preview PG9.jpgChapter two begins with the richest man on the planet, Mr. Thomm Coney, enjoying his seventeenth birthday party. Although he has tons of guests (most half naked women) he's only kept company by his best friend Eryc. The two go on a virtual safari until they're killed by a rhino. Meanwhile another spoiled rich kid celebrates her birthday by picking up a brand new one-of-a-kind car. She's nearly killed as an accident on the docks destroys the car in front of her. At this point in the story it's revealed that there is a strict class separation as "whites" or "ghosts" are treated like trash and basically work as civil servants.

Mr. Coney's birthday continues as he and Eryc move on to shooting real animals, namely birds, as they are one of the only creatures left alive on the planet. The party is soon crashed as two scientists show up asking for Coney's help. They worked with his grandfather back in the day and basically helped him become the richest man on the planet. Now they want to build a ship, one that travels faster than light.

On the flip side of the story, the Madam Prime Minister is meeting with Mr. Viswas. She's asking for his support in the up-coming election where she hopes to win her sixth consecutive term. Mr. Viswas is of the mind frame that new blood is needed in the position and declines to help her with his influences in the private sector. The Prime Minister makes a statement on the difference between change and tradition by killing a dolphin in front of Mr. Viswas. She thanks him for his time and carries on her business.

The story really boils down to the space ship. Everything that Thomm's family has gone through and all of his motivations are leading to the ship that's likely never to return to earth. Andrew Gaska creates a very unique future that is heavily influenced by Hindu culture. Gaska doesn't attempt to make the future overly flashy or leaps and bounds above where the world is now. In fact that's what works for the story the most, is that it closely resembles our own. The way they consume products, to the way the government and media are ran, all stem from ours.

The art style is amazing and beautiful. It's hard to imagine Archaia putting out a book that isn't drawn and colored wonderfully. Daniel Dussault draws a bright and detailed world that feels alive. There's plenty of background characters and movement going on behind the dialog to make the world feel busy, but in a very good way. The coloring is simply spectacular as it makes the story and world stand out from other sci-fi franchises. It's a welcomed change to the genre.

This book is really hard to put down once you start reading it. There's mystery and sci-fi working hand in hand to tell a unique story. Even with all of the answers the story gives you, there's sure to be plenty more mystery and adventure in the second issue making this title a must read.

Overal Score - 9.0/10

No, Event Horizon was not a good movie. Yes, I could go into details, but I won't. Follow Dustin on Twitter.

 
Rating
9.0

Comments

Meet the Author

About / Bio
I am the Co-Founder and CTO of Entertainment Fuse. Thank you for viewing my profile. If you have any questions, comments or if you found any bugs with the website, contact me anytime. I love chatting with our community!

Follow Us