Void Trip

Void Trip #1-5

by Ryan O'Sullivan, Plaid Klaus (Illustrator)

From writer RYAN O'SULLIVAN (Turncoat, The Evil Within, Warhammer 40,000) and illustrator PLAID KLAUS (Turncoat) comes the story of Ana and Gabe, the last two humans left alive in the galaxy. They're low on fuel, they're low on food, and they're low on psychedelic space froot, but they're still determined to make it to the promised land: hippy-paradise super-planet Euphoria. This is the story of their journey, the friends and enemies they made along the way, and how the universe responded to those who dared to live freely within it.

Collects issues 1 through 5.

QUOTES:

"Beautiful, drugged, and hilarious sci-fi from an alternate universe where the only Captain America anyone cares about is the one in Easy Rider." --Kieron Gillen (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, Darth Vader)

"VOID TRIP is Star Wars meets the View Askewniverse; cosmic scoundrels with the swashbuckling of Han Solo and the trippy edge of Jay & Silent Bob--an exciting, unique tone to hit the comics medium." --Steve Orlando (JLA, Supergirl, Midnighter)

"If you're doing sci-fi, here's what I want to see: crazy, weird, original. At least one. Void Trip? Hot damn. It's all three, and it has one of the coolest leads--Ana--that I want to read for a hundred issues. Get this book and enjoy the ride." --Michael Moreci (Superman, ROCHE LIMIT, Black Star Renegades)

"Less a vision quest than a vision-bull-in-a-china-shop through inner and outer space, VOID TRIP is here to prove Frederick Wertham right once and for all." --Dan Watters (LIMBO, The Shadow, Wolfenstein

"O'Sullivan and Klaus blaze one for the solar system in this joyous stoner action comedy. It's Fear and Loathing in the Large Megellanic Cloud." --Alex Paknadel (Doctor Who, Assassin's Creed, Arcadia)

"The road to Euphoria is told in a tone and style that's become the hallmark of Ryan and Klaus's work. Lovable characters--low on fuel, high on Froot--set out on an acid-trip road trip that puts the fun back in the funny pages. Do not miss!" --Ram V (Quake, Black Mumba, Grafity's Wall)

"We had an early look at this and it's pretty damn good, put that release date on your calendar!" --Big Bang Comics

"The "Turncoat" team is back with an intergalactic stoner road trip movie. This sounds amazing. I can't wait."--Multiversity

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Comix, Humor

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 5, 2018

About the author

Ryan O'Sullivan is a comic book writer from the North of England. Best known for original works such as A Dark Interlude, Fearscape, Void Trip, and Turncoat; Ryan has also written for licensed properties such as Dark Souls, Warhammer 40,000, and The Evil Within; as well as music industry professionals such as RZA of the Wutang Clan, Yungblud, and Abbey Road Studios. His original graphic novel, Fearscape, was one of only two comics selected for The Guardian newspaper's "Best Books of the Year 2019". He is one quarter of the White Noise comic-writer studio.

Reviews

[Donovan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheech and Chong meets Hitchhiker’s Guide meets Spaceballs meets On the Road. Traveler philosophy deepens the wacky plot and wackier characters.

“Euphoria is something that makes us better people just by being there to reach for. I guess I’m worried that, if I arrive there, I might stop trying to be a better person. And I don’t ever wanna do that.”

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tries real hard to be Fear and Loathing in Outer Space but ultimately says nothing. Filled with drug fueled diatribes void of meaning. For some reason a robot Storm Shadow is chasing them throughout the book in order to murder them. This was a complete waste of time.

[RG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheech and chong meets fear and loathing mixed with space opera setting. Solid artwork, the story really doesnt have the best plot. It got stretched to last 5 issues. More about life, morality, the existence of an afterlife and freedom to choose our end goal. Read if you want something a little different than the usual scifi, otherwise not something you need to jump into quickly.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is great, the colors are astounding, the story is...weird. Ana and Gabe float around the universe, getting high and meeting strange beings, while being chased by an white-armored assassin with a god complex. The narrative is a jumble of drug ("froot") trips, action scenes, and characters rambling thoughtfully about life and death. But boy is it pretty to look at.

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading Void Trip is like listening to the most intoxicated person at the party. Earnestly convinced of how profound and deep they sound while rambling incoherently and obnoxiously for way too long.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fear and Loathing Cheece and Chong in space?

Ana and Gabe are on a journey across the universe to Euphoria… they’ve turned of the nav and thrown away the map, opting for “the journey.” Bowls of psychedelic Froot make the “trip” a lot more enjoyable, and a host of alien mercenaries (cannibal and otherwise) creates tension for the duo to get their butts in gear.

There’s some references to the almighty Hero’s Journey: the mentor, the “journey over the destination,” and the knowledge passed. But it never sustains the arc of the narrative.

The artwork is solid, detailed and imaginative. They visit several planets and meet countless

Overall, it may have been a bit too trippy for me. The payoff didn’t hit me and I found myself really struggling with the point of it all.

For all my reviews: https://paulspicks.blog

[Gabriel Infierno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to edelweiss to give a free copy of this book in exchange of a honest review.

I like this comic is fun, not that complicated and it has a lot of humor, sci-fi, space travelling and drugs, the drawing is really beautiful and it just fun to read, it lack a little deep and a sense of connection in the history but it's fun and I think it was the propose of this book.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ana and Gabe are addicted to froot, the mostly illegal hallucinogen. They also pilot a space ship in a future world. Ana looks and acts like Spicoli from Ridgemont High. The plot is reminiscent of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Weird stuff just keeps happening and that's it for plot.

Void Trip misses an opportunity to create an awesome future world. The artwork is well done but the plot is a mash-up of better books. I think froot (or a similar substance) is required while reading. 3 stars!

Thanks to Image Comics and Edelweiss for an advanced copy.

[Tyler Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fear and Loathing meets Saga in this psychedelic, drug-fueled, sci-fi adventure. Stoner buddies Ana and Gabe are road-tripping (pun intended) across the galaxy towards the hippie promised land called Euphoria, pursued by a murderous white robot. Bleak yet hilarious, this was a wild ride through and through.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel reminds me of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas as a space opera. Mature content for adult readers.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly amusing story of intergalactic voyages mixed with psychedelic froot

[Cale · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book rubbed me the wrong way from the start. Ana talks like Frankie from Grace and Frankie, except she's 40 years too young for it. It's like an attempt at Hunter S. Thompson on an intergalactic scale, with nothing really to say. Ana and Gabe are the last humans in the universe, and they're looking for the promised land, in this case called Euphoria. They spend most of their time hopped up on Froot, doing stupid things and acting like those things are important. There's some Easy Rider, some very detailed and intriguing art, and a lot of characters I just didn't like, making lots of poor choices, all for some 'Live Free or Die' moral that the book doesn't even manage to spit out without caveats. It ends up coming off pretentious (the illustrator's bio deserves an eye roll), which is one of my pet peeves. It's got enough fans that I guess some people got something out of it, but it didn't work for me at all.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Drug Fueled and Spaced-Out, Literally

It's a bumpy ride but there are some nice set pieces and a lot of amusing throwaway lines. It's heavy-man in a Cheech & Chong sort of way, which means some of it is right on, some is incoherent, some is dumb, and big chunks are smart and funny. The whole froot drug angle could get old, but you can't have stoner humor without everyone getting stoned, so that pretty much was part of the territory. I'm a patient reader and I think this sort of project is very hard to pull off, so I was willing to take a ride along on this.

And there are some great bits. The blue versus red robot war is worth the price of the volume. The bad guy has great lines as he tracks our heroes across the universe, and gradually goes mental. There's an A.I. who changes his look and costumes to fit the occasion and a lot of sly and witty lines and visual jokes were slipped in by way of that character. Ana and Gabe's search for Euphoria and their belief that the journey is the destination followed familiar lines, but every now and then I connected with the characters and their search, and that was a bit surprising for a stoner adventure.

The art is great. Pencils, inking and colors are fine, but the best part is that no matter how manic and psychedelic things get you can always tell who's who and what's going on. That's a virtue not to be dismissed lightly.

At bottom I enjoyed the jokes, the throwaway lines and dialogue, and the comic art. But surprisingly, I ended up more invested in where the story was headed and how it was going to end than I expected. That was a nice bonus.

(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Paul Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this book as an eARC from Image Comics via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review*

This graphic novel is Harold & Kumar meets Saga. The last two humans in the universe are traveling together in search of Euphoria, a planet where everything is good. On their journey they meet plenty of odd alien characters while being chased by another odd alien character in white. During all of this, they utilize the intoxicating properties of froot.

There are some interesting moral and philosophical quandaries addressed in this comic. And they're mostly through the eyes of high characters. The framework of the storytelling is also interesting in how it ends.

I give this graphic novel a 4/5. Great artwork that matches the trippy story.

[Paul Allard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Druggie space travellers in moralistic tale - quite fun and nicely written

Ana and Gabe may be the last humans in the galaxy and spend their time high on froot as they travel around fairly aimlessly. Other non-human characters get involved and the story includes moralistic musings about happiness etc.. The artwork is simple, clear and fun. It makes for an interesting and different read and many will enjoy it.

[Kaylen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was actually really really fun to read. Lots of humorous nuances and a good amount of philosophy. My favorite kind of narrative for sure.

I’m always so indecisive about graphic novels. They never make it on my all star list but they definitely will earn 5 stars. I’m still mulling over Saga and Monstress to see if I’ll ever add them to the all star collection. Maybe this will be added to the queue. Tbd.

[Munawar Mobin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spectacular art but fell a little short for me in the end. Story seemed a little cliched but still a good ride and great way to deliver said message no matter how overplayed. Great book, would recommend!

The art is exactly what the title promises!

[Wilde Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two people go on an intergalactic journey.

I found this a very strange / odd book, but it capture my imagination and I thought it was quite clever, even though I’m not a hundred percent sure what it was trying to say.

[Sam Morley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the privilege of being able to meet Ryan O’Sullivan at comic con 2018 and he signed my copy for me. Only having picked it up now I appreciate what a good read it is. It slightly reminded me of Saga (hitch the progressibots). Is there a second ?

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me think of Hunter S. Thompsons + Tom Robbins a LOT.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 is being kind. Ouch time I will never get back after sticking through to read it all.

[wildct2003 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird and interesting. Not sure I got all of it.

[Joshua C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast, fun, bittersweet hyperdrive jump across the universe.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel was such a wild ride about two humans travelling through space tripping on psychedelic space fruit. This comic was so much fun and surprisingly quite deep towards the end.

[Kristina McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the artwork and the storyline is interesting but I had expected more!

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never actually got me to care much about the characters & I shouldn’t have read the illustrator’s bio, though I can’t say it didn’t make sense with the amount of drugs the characters did…

[Tasman District Libraries · Rating 3 out of 5]

A psychedelic space road movie. Ana and Gabe, the last two humans in the universe are on a pilgrimage to the planet Euphoria – a hippy-paradise.

Fuelled by froot, an addictive and mostly illegal hallucinogenic, this oddball pair are at any given moment either deeply lost in their hallucinations or engaged in real life antics almost as bizarre.



They want only to find their nirvana and bliss out for the rest of their days but must contest with a merciless masked figure pursuing them who will kill anything in his path to get to them. Helped and hindered by friends and enemies along the way the beautiful art and fantastic character design make this an enjoyable "trip" through space on which to hitch a ride.

Has the air of the spaced out stoner telling you what they think is the deepest and most profound tale ever told. It isn’t as profound as that but is presented in such a hilarious and wacky way that you want to hear how these loveable maniacs end up. Entertaining and vivacious art and writing though not quite the route to enlightenment. This engaging, amusing and entertaining tale will amuse readers seeking comedic psy-fi space escapism.



Reviewed by Sophus at Richmond Library

[MsPink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of the author or the artist when I picked up Void Trip--truly a case of judging a book by its cover, and the pleasant surprise of finding the substance even better than what the surface promised... a delightfully weird, beautiful, funny, sad, original story. It's like Fear & Loathing meets Saga meets Black Science meets Tank Girl, but with ~70% less self-referential/reverential meta-awareness. The perfect holiday gift for the aging (in the sense that we all are) hippie comic book nerd in your life.

[Lauren (Northern Plunder) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review was first posted on Northern Plunder, you can read more of my reviews there too.
Apparently I have no self control and decided to browse Edelweiss because I’ve never picked up anything from there and thought I would be safe.

I wasn’t.

I stumbled across the Image Comics section and found 2 that I was super interested in. This is the first.

I didn’t read the synopsis, as always I selected based on the art but I had to trust the cover.

Void Trip follows Ana (man I love her character design, attitude, and general aesthetic) and Gabe as they travel across the universe getting high whilst trying to reach the hippy paradise of Euphoria. Unfortunately they’re also being hunted.

As this story follows people getting high it really lends itself to a great exploration of art and colours. I really enjoyed how the use of drugs effects the scenes, colours, or characters face. It also makes for the narrative to be a little unreliable.

There is a section about Blue vs Red robot war that happens and I think this has some great lines. I enjoyed the short tale about how that war came to be, its

This is definitely a wild ride but it has comedic and deep times too. I gasped at the end because I was suprised at the way the story unfolded and how the method of the story being told really adds to why some elements of the story aren’t fully explained or expanded on.

It may only be 144 pages but I cared deeply for the characters and I’m sad there isn’t another volume. However, at least I’ve been introduced to a new author and illustrator.

[Alex Sarll]

Two zonked-out hippies on a space road trip to the promised land, pursued by the ultimate embodiment of the Man (think gleaming white Terminator with a god complex). This could easily have got painfully Pat Mills, but instead resides more in the freewheeling neighbourhood of Robert Sheckley, in part through its constant flipping of sympathies. Our leads are, after all, a selfish, thieving shambles; she considers 'not driving high' and 'not waving a gun around' to be just more restrictive pig rules, and is so devoted to 'the journey not the destination' that she refuses to even check where they're going. And him...well, he's just tired. And yet, in this war-torn universe, who wouldn't drop out? Ideas and gags are tossed out, then forgotten, where other creative teams might easily have milked them (especially the possibilities of hallucinogenic space fruit with names and effects based on different comics creators). I'm glad it's not any longer, but as a miniseries I think it can be counted a strange little success.

(Edelweiss ARC)