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Astronauts In Trouble
The critically acclaimed series is now collected! All three stories are Live From The Moon, 1959, and One Shot, One Beer, as well as short stories by Brian Wood, Kieron Dwyer, and Darick Robertson.
Paperback
First published October 22, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 15, 2013
First off, the title "Astronauts in Trouble" is lousy. I guess that's probably why I'd never heard of these comics until I stumbled across the collection earlier this year.
The good news is that the comics themselves are pretty good. Larry Young was kind of the Kevin Smith of comic book stores (Smith, and of course Quentin Tarantino, was a video store virtuoso who made good), whose many useful contacts helped him produce some of his own comics. The glowing introductions from a number of big names attest to Young's reputation, but the work is pretty good, and not just because of the highly professional (black & white) art.
Although let's go ahead and talk about the art first. The earliest installments are illustrated by Matt Smith, whom I recently enjoyed in the Day of Judgment collection. It's the best art. The name, however, that people will more readily recognize is Charlie Adlard's. Adlard has since gone on to great success as Robert Kirkman's collaborator on The Walking Dead, making this part of his secret origin. The work here is similar but not quite what he does now. Mostly it lacks the pizzazz, especially compared to Smith's efforts.
Incredibly, the stories do not technically feature astronauts. The lead and original story involves a crazy billionaire who is eventually revealed to be a Bond-type villain, although the brevity of the whole affair makes it seem perfectly valid that a news team from a TV station is more than capable of thwarting his dastardly plans. It's the kind of storytelling so stupid that you don't realize how paper-thin it really is because Young is otherwise quite capable of telling it well enough, even engagingly so.
Subsequent installments are better, but they're much more character-centric, even though none of them quite reaches the level it seems they should. There's a installment that serves as a kind of prequel, flashing back to 1959 and an alternate to the Mercury program that went down in history as America's direct line to the moon. And there's also a sequel that more or less meditates on the original story.
Overall, a nifty little curiosity of indy comics storytelling, though in this instance you can definitely see all the reasons why it's been subsequently forgotten.
The good news is that the comics themselves are pretty good. Larry Young was kind of the Kevin Smith of comic book stores (Smith, and of course Quentin Tarantino, was a video store virtuoso who made good), whose many useful contacts helped him produce some of his own comics. The glowing introductions from a number of big names attest to Young's reputation, but the work is pretty good, and not just because of the highly professional (black & white) art.
Although let's go ahead and talk about the art first. The earliest installments are illustrated by Matt Smith, whom I recently enjoyed in the Day of Judgment collection. It's the best art. The name, however, that people will more readily recognize is Charlie Adlard's. Adlard has since gone on to great success as Robert Kirkman's collaborator on The Walking Dead, making this part of his secret origin. The work here is similar but not quite what he does now. Mostly it lacks the pizzazz, especially compared to Smith's efforts.
Incredibly, the stories do not technically feature astronauts. The lead and original story involves a crazy billionaire who is eventually revealed to be a Bond-type villain, although the brevity of the whole affair makes it seem perfectly valid that a news team from a TV station is more than capable of thwarting his dastardly plans. It's the kind of storytelling so stupid that you don't realize how paper-thin it really is because Young is otherwise quite capable of telling it well enough, even engagingly so.
Subsequent installments are better, but they're much more character-centric, even though none of them quite reaches the level it seems they should. There's a installment that serves as a kind of prequel, flashing back to 1959 and an alternate to the Mercury program that went down in history as America's direct line to the moon. And there's also a sequel that more or less meditates on the original story.
Overall, a nifty little curiosity of indy comics storytelling, though in this instance you can definitely see all the reasons why it's been subsequently forgotten.
August 27, 2016
Containing all 3 story arcs, this black-and-white collection is simply illustrated. The first story deals with a TV news team treading where they shouldn't as they explore a story about space travel in the late 1950s with dramatic consequences. The second arc is set in a more modern era, present day, and deals with an entrepreneur's quest to go to the Moon and the news crew from the first arc end up accompanying him. The third arc set further into the future in a bar on the Moon has locals telling tales about events connected to the two previous arcs.
The language is full of slang so, if English isn't your first language (particularly US English), this may prove to be challenging. The black-and-white illustrations didn't work for me as they were not detailed enough: I'm too old-fashioned and like colour and detail!
The language is full of slang so, if English isn't your first language (particularly US English), this may prove to be challenging. The black-and-white illustrations didn't work for me as they were not detailed enough: I'm too old-fashioned and like colour and detail!
September 21, 2011
This compiles all of Larry Young's Astronauts in Trouble stories. While the tales range from 1959 to the near future Young crafts a credible science fiction tale while tossing in a little social commentary. While primarily supporting characters Bennett and MacAdam (think Tommy Lee Jones from Space Cowboys) remain the most fun for me to read about. The frustrating thing thing to read the main story, set in 2019, and to think that we could be accomplishing some of those space and science goals now.
July 9, 2008
Didn't quite fall in love with any of the characters, but had a good time.
The art is very spare, in a good way. Black and white only. I sometimes had trouble telling people apart though.
The art is very spare, in a good way. Black and white only. I sometimes had trouble telling people apart though.
August 31, 2017
Graphic novel, black and white. I gotta say, it's sooooo much better when these things are in color. Good stories, I enjoyed it, but not something I'm going to go back to and read again.
February 21, 2015
Some really good dialogue, but the pacing is just too, too episodic--some of the cliffhangers feel false. The first story--the main one--is good, the middle story is ambitious but weak. The last story, with a bunch of people sitting around in a bar telling stories, is fantastic.
November 29, 2011
I liked the idea of a snarky satire on media and outer space. I just wish the illustrations were more detailed and the characters didn't look like clipart.
January 8, 2015
Ho hum.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews