Wasted Space Vol. 1

Wasted Space #1

by Michael Moreci

Billy Bane is a prophet who got it all wrong, and the galaxy has been burning ever since. All he wants is to waste away in the darkest corner of space with his best pal Dust, a supercharged Fuq bot. But when a new prophet comes calling, Billy is summoned to save the galaxy he's at least partially responsible for destroying.

Too bad he couldn't care less.

Michael Moreci (Roche Limit, Wonder Woman, Black Star Renegades) and Hayden Sherman (The Few, Cold War, John Carter: The End) have thrown Philip K. Dick in a blender with Preacher. Take a sip and get wasted.

*Named as one of the top ten "Best Comics of 2018" in seven different
industry lists, including being named as one of Paste Magazine's top
"Comics We Loved in 2018". *

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Fiction, Audiobook, Graphic Novels Comics

142 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2018

About the author

Michael Moreci is a bestselling comics author and novelist. His original works include the space adventure novels Black Star Renegades and We Are Mayhem, as well as the comic series Wasted Space, The Plot, Hexagon, Curse, Archangel 8, and more. The Plot appeared on numerous best of 2019 lists, and Wasted Space has been hailed as one of the best comics of the past decade. Moreci's comic trilogy Roche Limit was called one of the best sci-fi comics of all-time by Paste Magazine, and Black Star Renegades was an Audie Award finalist for best sci-fi of 2018.

Moreci has also written for Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, and the DC universe--including the YA graphic novel The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story. He's also adapted Eoin Colfer's bestselling Artemis Fowl series into graphic novels.

He lives outside Chicago with his family.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was really hard to get past the awful art in this. The art was sketchy and lacked much detail. It was almost like they took thumbnails and blew them up full size.

The story was OK but confusing at times, especially the first couple of issues. Once it got rolling, I was able to figure out what was going on, but initially this just meandered into nothingness.

Received a review copy from Vault Comics and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect example I'll use in the future when I say I can read a comic with not great art but a great story but I can't do the other way around.

And let me be fair and say I think it's the art style I just don't jive with. It has a weird sketchy, weird faces, lack of emotion that I just don't like. It doesn't help that the environments look rough as hell too. But this is by the same artist as "The Few" and I hated that one because I couldn't tell what the fuck was happening. This is an improvement.

But the story by Michael Moreci elevates this A LOT. This is a story of a man who has given up on just about everything. He once had everything since he was in touch with the prophet, and Billy here said he saw the future. However, when everything went to shit he kind of died away in the corner of the galaxy never to be seen again. That's until a girl comes into his life and can also see the future...things are about to get messy.

This is fun, chaotic, and zanny yet I loved almost every minute. Billy Bane is one likable asshole as is the rest of the cast. No one is perfect, and that makes it realistic, and super enjoyable. The pacing is quick, and at times though the wording can get long-winded, when it hits it works like magic.

I was really impressed with this volume and will be getting volume 2 for sure. Vault is kicking butt. A 4 out of 5.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Manipulated by "the creator" into delivering prophesies that put a megalomaniac in charge of the galaxy, Billy Bane prefers to live outside the limelight. Then a young woman who can see the future comes to him with warnings of civilization wide annihilation, and he finds himself right back in the thick of intergalactic conflict. Michael Moreci's gonzo space opera moves at a fast and funny clip, with a memorable cast of characters. The real star of the show, though, is Hayden Sherman's splashy, impressionistic art. A great, fun read.

[Valéria. · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like wasted time.. Hahaha haha ha ha..ha.
Ale ne, teraz vážne. Toto sa proste nedalo čítať tak, aby to bavilo. Postavy sú nudné jak hovado, v jednom kuse sami nevedia o čo ide a celé to len pôsobí aj na čitateľa štýlom "čo sa vlastne doprdele deje? o čo ide?".. Keď už ma to nebavilo z pohľadu postáv a príbehovej, akčnej stránky, tak som dúfala, že sa aspoň zasmejem, ale ani k tomu nedošlo. A to sa celkom divím, lebo som už niečo od neho čítala v minulosti a bolo to príjemnejšie. Každopádne eh, hej, veľa ľudí ako vidím naklikalo 5* rating ako autor sám sebe, nech to drží pekný priemer. Celé to pôsobí miestami až trápne, vulgarizmy sú tam totálne nasilu. Nabudúce keď si budem chcieť prečítať sci-fi z vesmíru, ktoré ma baví ako charaktermi, tak príbehom, tak proste vezmem do ruky Outer Darkness, kde sa síce tiež nadáva jak na bežiacom páse, ale aspoň je príbeh čitateľný a baví. Ku kresbe sa vyjadrovať moc nechcem, lebo miestami sa mi chcelo plakať, ale miestami sa mi určité pasáže naozaj páčili. Tak aspoň za tie tomu nenastrelím tú jednu.

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of "Wasted Space, Vol. 1" by Diamond Book Distributors. Thanks for the free graphic novel*

"Take a sip and get wasted." That was really wild, what a ride! Billy Bane is a prophet but even though the Creator is speaking to him, things went wrong and the galaxy is mainly war, death and chaos. Now Bane just wants to be left in peace...and drink with his bro Dust, a giant, blue, funny Fuq bot. When another prophet comes along, Bane is supposed to save the galaxy, but he'd rather not.

Action packed, well-written and beautifully drawn graphic novel which reminded me a bit of the Saga comics style-wise. I liked all the characters, their backgrounds and the epic scale of the narrative. Thought this was better than the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies and sometimes even funnier.

I want Bruce Willis to either play Dust or Bane in a sort of "Die Hard" or "The Fifth Element" style!

Bane: "But this is wrong. I *know* this is wrong."
The Creator: "Right, wrong...these ceonceptions are a little above your pay grade, silly. Besides, if there's one thing humanity loves, is an existence fraught with conflict. Sure, you'll *say* you want peace and justice and all these noble things. But do you *really*?"

5 Stars, I am highly entertained and emotionally invested in this.

[Victoria Hawco · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if Luke Skywalker was actually Han Solo, and alongside his adopted teenage daughter, his suave robot friend, and said suave robot’s murderous ex went on a space road trip to kill God?

Good stuff.

[Meegy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my usual sort of reading, Sci-Fi never is, but this gave me a Guardians of the Galaxy crossed with the Watchmen sort of feel. I enjoyed it.

[RG · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the story a little slow to begin but towards the end it was not bad. However I just wasnt a fan of the art

[Ondřej Halíř · Rating 5 out of 5]

Osvěžující Sci-Fi dobrodružství o bývalém prorokovi ke kterému promlouval stvořitel a kvůli kterému hlavní hrdina Billy Bane nasral skoro celou Galaxii. Teď se skrývá a cestuje s Fuq Botem který se snaží vydělávat na palivo tím že má sex s ruznými entitami. Brzy se do toho zakomponuje i zkáza Galaxie a anarchystické hnutí ASS , no a pravá sranda začíná. Je tu hodně humoru, dobře napsaných postav a příběh který táhne až do konce.

Jediná výtka může asi přijít ke kresbě která na první pohled není vůbec líbivá, ale postupem času jsem si jí zamiloval. Tuhle sérii doporučuji všem co by chtěli si přečíst něco na styl Guardians of the Galaxy, ale kvalitně napsané (srovnávám s runem od Bendise).

Edit: Pri rereadu me to bavilo jeste mnohem vice !!!

[Paul Decker · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

This graphic novel has a really cool concept. The protagonist is the voice of the creator. It's an interesting take on the prophet figure because he is very self aware. He isn't sure if he actually hears words from a god or has mental health issues. In his group he also has a Fuq Bot (it's exactly what it sounds like) who can also function as a Qil Bot (self explained).

This comic has a far future sci-fi feel like The Fifth Element or Valerian. The art style has a sketch, gritty feel to it. It matches this, sometimes confusing, world well.

This comic is fun, but confusing at times. I give this book a 3/5.

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got a free copy of this from diamond books distributors & I was intrigued to how I’d find an action graphic novel (more typical comic book stuff)
At first, it wasn’t my thing, I feel like their eyes were all really weird & I’ve heard a couple people describe it as sketchy, which I agree with. But I pushed on (I mean, they’re only short) and I enjoyed it more! I can’t say I would go for something like this again but it did sort of remind me of guardians of the galaxy in a way (which I liked so...)

[McKenzie Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply put, I loved it.

I read a lot of the other reviews (mostly people shitting on the art style) and while visuals certainly boil down to personal preference and everyone is entitled to his or her opinions, as an artist myself, I can look at this and appreciate how long it must have taken to make. Mad props to the artists who contributed, because you all pulled off something which not many can even fathom the complexities and time involvement.

Now, on to the storyline ...

Billy is a classic anti-hero, and I'm a sucker for that delicious male/male camaraderie. Billy's relationship with Dust (and the quips that follow their dialogue exchanges) are undeniably entertaining. I was cheering them on from the beginning.

I'm interested to see how Molly Sue's character rubs off on Billy in future volumes. There's just something about that girl. I'm excited to find out what role she plays beyond the one we're set up to see in Volume 1.

As a fan of Transmetropolitan, I appreciate the crass dialogue and filth. And while it's plentiful, it never comes off as forced or excessive. I'm looking forward to reading more.

I also felt super cool being the 100th person to review this on Goodreads, so ...

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange sci-fi filled with anti-heroes and overcrowded planets. Legion is a good prod for the 'heroes'.

[Trevor ComicFan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art in this was the worst I have seen in a long time. The story gets a 2.

[Akshay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasted Space, Vol. 1 by Michael Moreci

Wasted Space, Vol. 1 is a bold, irreverent space opera written by Michael Moreci, with artwork by Hayden Sherman, and colors by Jason Wordie. The first volume sets the stage for a cynical yet highly entertaining science fiction adventure, blending elements of Star Wars, Preacher, and Guardians of the Galaxy. At its core, it's a tale of disillusionment, self-destruction, and rebellion against the backdrop of a cosmic catastrophe and philosophical exploration about faith, purpose, and power.

The story follows a group of misfits, led by Billy Bane, a former "prophet" who, after being instrumental in bringing about galactic destruction, now wastes his life in obscurity. When a new threat arises, he’s forced back into action, drawing in a cast of equally flawed companions. The narrative strikes a balance between biting satire, action-packed sequences, and deeper existential themes, though it occasionally falters under the weight of its own ambitions.

Narrative & Themes

One of the strongest aspects of Wasted Space is its cynical, subversive tone. Moreci uses the sci-fi setting to satirize religion, politics, and the nature of belief, both in ourselves and higher powers. Billy, the former prophet, is a deeply flawed character, embodying this cynicism as someone who once believed in something larger than himself, only to become disillusioned after witnessing the destruction his faith helped cause. The dialogue is sharp, witty, and filled with existential musings, often questioning the nature of morality, free will, and human purpose.

The pacing of the plot is chaotic yet gripping, mirroring the disarray of the characters’ lives. The story jumps between moments of grim introspection, dark comedy, and explosive violence. However, the chaotic nature of the storytelling occasionally detracts from the development of its world-building. While the central conflict is clearly established—the fight against an oppressive force known as The Creator—it sometimes feels like the larger stakes of the galaxy are left unexplored in favor of character-driven moments. This focus on character, though compelling, can make the larger world feel underdeveloped, especially in the first volume.

Artwork & Aesthetic

Hayden Sherman’s art is a significant factor in the book’s distinct style. His scratchy, almost frenetic linework, combined with Jason Wordie’s vibrant, contrasting color palette, creates a sense of chaotic energy that matches the tone of the story. The visual style is unique and bold, but not always easy to follow—there are moments where the art feels too cluttered or abstract, making it hard to discern what’s happening in action scenes. However, this same style also conveys the sense of disorder and volatility that defines the characters and their world. The raw, gritty look of the art complements the darker, more nihilistic elements of the story.

Character Development

The real strength of Wasted Space lies in its characters. Each member of the ragtag group brings their own baggage and motivations, creating a dynamic team that is as dysfunctional as it is entertaining. Moreci clearly puts effort into fleshing out his characters, giving each of them a unique voice and arc, though some are more developed than others in this first volume.

However, one critique is that despite the philosophical depth the book attempts, it sometimes falls into familiar tropes of the space opera genre. The characters, while enjoyable, can come across as archetypal—the drunken antihero, the sassy sidekick, the religious zealot—though they are written with enough wit and depth to keep the story engaging.

Major and Minor Characters and Their Arcs

1. Billy Bane (Protagonist)

Billy is the former "prophet" of the galaxy, a chosen one who once had a direct line of communication with a god-like entity called The Creator. After being manipulated into helping bring about a totalitarian regime and widespread destruction, he retreats into a life of alcoholism, self-loathing, and nihilism. His arc in Vol. 1 is one of reluctant redemption. Though Billy tries to escape his past and the responsibility that comes with his former role, he’s forced to confront the consequences of his actions when Molly Sue, a woman seeking his help, drags him back into the fight. His journey is deeply tied to his grappling with guilt, existential questions about faith, and the meaning of his role in the universe.

2. Molly Sue (Catalyst for Action)

Molly Sue is a mysterious young woman who seeks out Billy, believing he can help stop the impending disaster brought on by The Creator. She has psychic abilities and is initially seen as a damsel in distress, but as the story progresses, she emerges as a more complex character. Her motivations are still unclear in Vol. 1, but her role as the catalyst for getting Billy back into action is essential. She pushes him to confront his past and plays a key role in reigniting his sense of purpose. Her arc is one of discovery—both of her own powers and the truth about Billy and the galaxy’s future.

3. Dust (Billy’s Friend and Moral Compass)

Dust is a giant, blue-skinned alien and Billy’s closest (and possibly only) friend. He’s a deeply religious figure who represents a different kind of faith compared to Billy’s disillusionment. While Billy has abandoned his belief in a higher purpose, Dust remains committed to his own moral and spiritual code, acting as Billy’s moral compass throughout their journey. Dust’s arc in Vol. 1 revolves around his struggle to reconcile his own beliefs with the brutal, chaotic reality they face. He serves as a foil to Billy’s cynicism, offering a counterpoint to the nihilistic tone of the book.

4. The Creator (Antagonist, Conceptual Villain)

The Creator is the god-like figure that Billy once served as a prophet. While not fully revealed in Vol. 1, The Creator represents the oppressive force that controls much of the galaxy, enforcing order through authoritarian means. The Creator’s motivations and nature remain mysterious, but their influence is felt throughout the narrative as the looming threat that Billy and his group must ultimately face. The Creator serves as a symbolic antagonist—representing false faith, manipulation, and control.

5. The Legion (Minor Antagonists, Soldiers of the Creator)

The Legion is the military force that serves The Creator, acting as enforcers of their will across the galaxy. While they don’t play a major role in character development, they represent the tangible arm of the oppressive regime that Billy and his crew must contend with. They’re essentially faceless antagonists, serving to illustrate the reach and power of The Creator’s influence.

6. Samantha (Minor Character, Mechanic)

Samantha is a mechanic who helps Billy and the crew along their journey. While her role is relatively minor in Vol. 1, she provides essential support and resources for the group. She is no-nonsense and pragmatic, offering a grounded, practical perspective amidst the chaos of the crew’s mission. Samantha’s arc may not be fully developed in the first volume, but her character adds an element of reliability and expertise to the team dynamic.

Conclusion

Wasted Space, Vol. 1 is an audacious, chaotic, and philosophically rich sci-fi comic that sets up an intriguing universe filled with flawed characters and existential dilemmas. While its pacing and world-building can feel disjointed at times, its focus on character and themes of disillusionment, faith, and rebellion make it a compelling read. The artwork, though occasionally hard to follow, captures the raw energy of the narrative. For fans of irreverent, gritty space operas, Wasted Space offers a fresh, subversive take on the genre.

The first volume lays the foundation for what promises to be a deeply philosophical yet action-packed series, though it’s clear that future volumes will need to balance its world-building and thematic depth to reach its full potential.

[Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"All will be well."

I am such a sucker for reluctant heroes with a dark past, a sassy no-fucks-given attitude (which is really just a front), and an irreverently foul mouth to top it all off. A prick who listens to no one but himself most of the time, and most of the time also sets into motion the problems that he would eventually have to fix.

Billy Bane may have been dead inside following his fall from grace as the former Voice of the Creator, but he ain't got the personality of a dead fish. His friend, the QIL-FUQ bot Dust, who pretty much lives up to his dual programming, also provides an equally engaging presence. I've still got to really put my finger on what makes Molly Sue tick, but I'm pretty sure she will grow on me too, moving forward.

And I also really like the conflict that drove these three together and sent them on a quest to right their wrongs, redeem themselves, and hopefully through it all also manage to save an entire universe.

I think the illustration also fits the graphic novel's narrative and worldview so perfectly that they're actually rather beautiful in their roughness and imperfections.

I am pretty excited to read what's coming next. ^^

I received a digital review copy of this graphic novel by subscribing to the Diamond Book Distributors' e-newsletter.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

The throttled antihero, the dark, yet witty dialogue, and the inventive illustrations make this a impressive start to the story. There is some light philosophy, namely, discussions of fate, and the nature of a deity. And a note or fyi: These themes and some choice language make this a decidedly adult text.

I’m very curious about where this story will go next.

For my full review: https://paulspicks.blog/2018/11/18/wa...

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

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quirky and unique volume, and I loved it! If you're looking for something different than anything else out there, consider giving Wasted Space a try! It's heavily science fiction, with a dash of existentialism thrown into the mix, and then a little bit of chaos put on top.

[RD Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting enough that I'll read on

That's my TL;DR right above this.

That said: my understanding of Amazon's rating system is that 3 stars is average. Not especially good, not especially bad: average.

To break this down further: the art on this book is not to my particular taste. In my opinion, it's not particularly pretty. However, it does function to tell the story; there are no particular issues with discerning our characters when they're on stage. While the artist uses a somewhat abbreviated (I'd say sketch-like) style in conveying characters, their basic proportions feel right throughout. The variant covers shown in the book don't really help the book artistically; in fact, I could see someone buying an individual issue based on one of those covers, and being disappointed enough with the art that they try to get their money back - there's a huge stylistic mismatch. But, and I want to emphasize this, I am not saying this artist is a bad artist by any means. I can differentiate between art that I don't personally like and bad art. As I said, he tells the story well, and it's not hard to follow.

The story intrigues me. I'll try to sum it up while posting as few spoilers as possible. Our main character has done things in his life that he feels (with reason) have left the galaxy a much more messed up place. At the time, he believed he was doing the right thing, following the advice of another entity. He still gets advice from that entity; but he feels, based on what's happened to date, that it has nothing helpful to provide. In fact, he's likely to do the exact opposite. He's been wallowing in guilt up until the start of the series. Now, he feels the need to take some sort of action. It seems like he will indeed cause change - the question becomes, will he fix things, or make them soooo much worse?

I will note here that, had I been buying individual issues, I might not have read this long enough to get interested in the story; it took until at least the fourth of the five issues included to really start to pull me in. The end of this volume seems to promise continued escalation and provides continued doubt as to whether the entity communicating with the main character is helping or hurting in the long run.

I'd probably rate this 3.5 stars if possible; it leans in a positive direction.

[Enron84 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, what a terrific little cosmic odyssey Wasted Space is. Like after hours Guardians of the Galaxy turned up to 11. Our main character Billy is an unlucky prophet who was chosen to be the voice of a cosmic deity, unto the people.

His sermons ultimately lead to the loss of the one person in his life, and a tyrannical despot becoming the galactic leader that has put everyone on the brink of war. Reeling from the aftermath of these actions, he spends his time in a drug-addled haze, and on the run. But the universe isn't done fucking up Billy's life just yet.

Intriguing plot developments and fantastically written characters in a shitty future that feels lived in and fully realized. Hayden Sherman's signature scratchy art style is beautifully blended with a touch of Moebius's cosmic surrealism, thanks to the colors provided by Jason Wordie.

Wasted Space is what Star Wars could be if it experimented with hard drugs and whiskey.

[Daniel Kovacs Rezsuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare for me to rate a comic book this high when
A) I'm not particularly fond of the artstyle. It's deliberatly sketchy which is further accentuated by the heavy inking and the usage of less-than-delicate textures.
B) I am fundamentally opposed to the ideology expressed through its text and subtext. What we have on display here is essentially a centrist liberal's dream scenario where the protagonist is fighting extremists on both sides to return to the normalcy of some idealized status quo of the past. Thankfully this is only one aspect of the story.
Yet Moreci did such a great job with the plotting and narrative flow that I was able to look past these issues. Great space opera.

[Ronan The Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hesitant at first that this may be a sci-fi story in the vein of another one of Moreci’s books, Roche Limit (which is not good). Luckily, that quickly turns out to not be the case, as we follow God’s alleged galactic spokesperson, after his unceremonious retirement. The story does employ some tropes of the genre, but is different enough to stand out and keep you on your toes. Moreci quips in a modern tongue, and has definitely hooked me in. The art takes some getting used to, but regardless I look forward to Vol. 2.

[Rafael Morillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Wasted Space" is a Sci-fi adventure story following a prophet named Billy Bane who assisted in the assassination of a leader that helped send the galaxy under the control of dictator Devolous Yam. Now Billy Bane and his friends received a new message from a deity called "Legion," to destroy the Creator while at the same time Billy Bane and others such as the anarchist named Rex also want to kill Yam. So far this graphic novel has been fun and I am looking forward to continuing the story.

[Jesús · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have an ex-TVpreacher that, guided by "god" (a god in the form of a kinf of old-fashioned cylon robot), enabled a psycho to become the new emperor-dictator of the universe. Years later, he lives with his best friend, a blue android version of Nacho Vidal while he tries to hide his guilt with psychotropics. However, one day, they meet a teenage girl who allegues to talk with the same cylon... er... god, the same god, and asks him for his help to save the universe. What can go wrong?

[Sarospice · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think everyone involved here thought they had something better than it actually is: yet another space opera about cult leaders and the end of everything. Been there. The only thing that can make that concept fresh is good characterization, which is not here. And the art is an eyesore. Still, vault tried.

[Jacob Rowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

We need more sci-fi books with mega-televangelists as villains and disillusioned former prophets (who can still here the voice of the creator) as protagonists. The art is scratchy and gestural (which I enjoyed), the colors are beautiful, and the world design is imaginative. A promising start to a space opera.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the fork did I just listen to? Well, only about ten or less minutes of an audiobook version of a comic book series, that I'm pretty sure was recommended from bookriot. While the movie effects were fun, there was just entirely too much swearing and oh lord I need to remove this from our collection 😵

[Damian Herde · Rating 3 out of 5]

This didn’t click for me. A sci fi, space adventure with gods, visions and prophets. As well as sex-bots, mercs, fascist government, and an alcoholic, self-absorbed protagonist.

The story took a bit to get into, due to the rough art and murky writing. Then it made sense for awhile and the coolness of the concept carried me. But that petered out and I lost interest.

[Alexander Pyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was alright. Not really sure what Moreci is attempting to say in this, but I am willing to stick around to read more.

Dig the world building at play, even if it means too hard on various tropes of sci-fi.

[Al Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a disappointing listen since I thought that there was a lot more possible than was delivered based on the summary. I believe that if they had put the same amount of work into the story that they did for all of the sound effects it would have been worth it.