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Space Bandits #1-5
Space Bandits
Thena Khole and Cody Blue are among the universe’s most-wanted felons. Each the leader of their own criminal ops, they run heists across the galaxies—hopping from ship to ship to fleece everyone inside. But when both women are betrayed by their crews, the bandits only have one thing on their minds: REVENGE.
Collects SPACE BANDITS #1-5
Collects SPACE BANDITS #1-5
147 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
About the author
Mark Millar
1,555 books2,610 followersMark Millar is the New York Times best-selling writer of Wanted, the Kick-Ass series, The Secret Service, Jupiter’s Legacy, Jupiter’s Circle, Nemesis, Superior, Super Crooks, American Jesus, MPH, Starlight, and Chrononauts. Wanted, Kick-Ass, Kick-Ass 2, and The Secret Service (as Kingsman: The Secret Service) have been adapted into feature films, and Nemesis, Superior, Starlight, War Heroes, Jupiter’s Legacy and Chrononauts are in development at major studios.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
His DC Comics work includes the seminal Superman: Red Son, and at Marvel Comics he created The Ultimates – selected by Time magazine as the comic book of the decade, Wolverine: Old Man Logan, and Civil War – the industry’s biggest-selling superhero series in almost two decades.
Mark has been an Executive Producer on all his movie adaptations and is currently creative consultant to Fox Studios on their Marvel slate of movies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
November 18, 2025
(B+) 76% | Good
Notes: Though sometimes clever, it's too whatever, a candy-floss sedation, a too half-baked and featherweight Saga imitation.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-2 ◦ Issues #3-4 ◦ Issue #5
Notes: Though sometimes clever, it's too whatever, a candy-floss sedation, a too half-baked and featherweight Saga imitation.
*Progress updates: Preamble ◦ Issues #1-2 ◦ Issues #3-4 ◦ Issue #5
January 23, 2020
Something of a Thelma & Louise in space. Our two main protagonists meet up in prison having both been screwed over by their crews. One is a master planner, the other a badass fighter. They hatch a plan to break out and take revenge on those who left them behind. Millar keeps the plot moving and full of action and humor. Scalera's art is dynamic. Everyone always seems in motion. I really enjoy it.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Image and Edelweiss. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
September 10, 2020
Millar keeps kicking out these loud and stupid movie pitches, and I keep reading them because they're just mindlessly entertaining. This one crosses science fiction and crime fiction as two female prisoners in an alien penal colony team up to get revenge on the criminal partners whose betrayals put them behind bars. One's got the brains and the other has the muscle. Together they wreak much flashy violence.
There is nothing subtle here in plot or characterization as Millar aims less for surprising twists and more for shocking turns.
There is nothing subtle here in plot or characterization as Millar aims less for surprising twists and more for shocking turns.
December 29, 2024
Not my favorite Millarworld entry.
Two "Space Bandits" are betrayed by their crew and join forces to seek revenge.
It all felt so rushed and there wasn't enough buildup in these five issues. Mark Millar knows how to capture an audience with a few chapters, but he just didn't do that here, unfortunately. The artwork also wasn't the greatest. Very inconsistent.
Two "Space Bandits" are betrayed by their crew and join forces to seek revenge.
It all felt so rushed and there wasn't enough buildup in these five issues. Mark Millar knows how to capture an audience with a few chapters, but he just didn't do that here, unfortunately. The artwork also wasn't the greatest. Very inconsistent.
November 11, 2019
In many ways, and a near spoiler here, a companion piece to Sharkey by Millar. Thena and Cody have been betrayed by men, and now they're getting revenge while planning one of the galaxy's biggest heists.
Really, like Sharkey this is a popcorn movie in TPB form. You're not going to be questioning the meaning of life afterwards, but you can have a good deal of fun while reading this.
Really, like Sharkey this is a popcorn movie in TPB form. You're not going to be questioning the meaning of life afterwards, but you can have a good deal of fun while reading this.
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January 19, 2020There's a mathematical law, I forget the name, which says that you always get more number ones in any group than twos, and so on. Because a second child implies a first, say, but you'll also have only children in there. Seldom has any sample illustrated this better than Mark Millar comics, where an endless stream of Volume Ones is interrupted by very few Volume Twos, and nary a Three to be seen. And here's the latest sketch for a forthcoming screen version, in which two nice-ish lady crooks who have been wronged by the crookier man crooks with whom they were crooking team up to get payback. Threat levels yo-yo arbitrarily, there's lots of showy yet not terribly exciting depravity, the usual Millarisms. Most of the bad guys have essentially the same name - Balder Cux, Abner Dax, Bowser Weex - but not in a way that suggests linguistic worldbuilding so much as limited imagination. Scalera's art is lively enough, but what initially seems like the visual theme ("The eighties didn't reach the Midwest until the nineties. Think how long they took to get into space.") barely surfaces after the second issue. The most exciting idea is the Crust, a giant space crustacean once worshipped as a deity, now dead and being mined by convicts, but even that is mostly done as a standard prison drama once we get there. It's a quick read with some cute lizards, and I don't resent having read it for free (ta, Edelweiss!), but however many millions it was that Netflix paid for this and its kin, they wuz robbed just as thoroughly as any of the marks herein.
January 30, 2020
It's Mark Millar, so it's blustery and big, and quite lazily plotted. There are a couple of 80s movie references, that feel half-hearted and old-fartish. The whole thing more or less ends exactly how you'd expect it to, no surprises. I liked the art a lot, it's a style that can quickly make action scenes incomprehensible, but that never happens here.
(Read as five single issues)
(Read as five single issues)
January 26, 2020
"I'm just thinking how much fun this is going to be." Well, it might have been for the characters, less so for the reader. This is utterly disposable light entertainment, with two beeyatches of the crime world getting together because they individually got betrayed by, you know, those nasty men types. It tries to have some kind of Megacity One feel to it, with spaceships named and shaped in honour of naff 80s pop acts, but forgets all about it after about the first instance. The only way any of this would stick in your mind is if you were about twelve and found the sex scene interesting.
February 23, 2020
I received an ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss
I have pretty much intentionally avoided Millar's work after some of the things he said and did in Kickass, but this sounded so good I had to try it. Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin and it's definitely just a sci-fi action movie in comic format but I loved the two main characters and had a lot of fun reading it. Would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a good 'two women on a revenge quest' story.
I have pretty much intentionally avoided Millar's work after some of the things he said and did in Kickass, but this sounded so good I had to try it. Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin and it's definitely just a sci-fi action movie in comic format but I loved the two main characters and had a lot of fun reading it. Would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a good 'two women on a revenge quest' story.
January 8, 2021
Take out the weird and unnecessary 80's references and it's a 5-star.
September 14, 2020
Two women scorned, a schemer and a fighter, hatch a plan to escape from prison and get sweet revenge on the men who wronged them. Space Bandits is fun, fast, and, at least initially, smarter than the typical Mark Millar joint. The final heist is a stupid doozy () that ends the book on a sour, predictable note. Classic Millar.
At least Matteo Scalera's art classed up the joint. I love those thin, sharp designs - shades of Sean Murphy. The two main characters were fine to spend time with. I'd read another volume - or watch the inevitable Netflix series and its Sharkey the Bounty Hunter crossover.
At least Matteo Scalera's art classed up the joint. I love those thin, sharp designs - shades of Sean Murphy. The two main characters were fine to spend time with. I'd read another volume - or watch the inevitable Netflix series and its Sharkey the Bounty Hunter crossover.
May 18, 2025
3.5 stars
For fans of Saga and/or Cowboy Bebop, this one-off comic series follows two criminals hellbent on revenge even when it takes them to many different planets throughout the galaxy.
First of all, I really enjoyed the coloring on this one, which was apparently done by Marcelo Maiolo so shoutout to them. This book was definitely aiming for an 80s vibes, with namedrops of Lionel Richie and Molly Ringwald, among other familiar franchises like Ghostbusters 2, and the bright, almost "neon", colors really added to this vibe and helped it pop. It almost had a "graffiti-ed" vibe in the best way and it fit not only the aimed-for 80s period but also the action-packed and interesting content.
I liked the artwork as well once I got past the first-chapter-or-so adjustment period, and the way that different alien species and planets were drawn was so much fun and interesting to look at. I definitely wanted to pause to look at different panels instead of just flying through the pages.
As for the story itself, it was a lot of fun and very fast-paced. I did find myself wondering if a comic book was necessarily the best fit for the story being told, as maybe an animated movie would work to bring this to life as well. In fact, the ending pages mentioned something about Netflix sketches which did get me slightly confused - was this ever a Netflix movie or special? Or was that scrapped? Or was this based on a movie? I felt even from the beginning that I was maybe hopping into a franchise I'd never heard about, but my cursory Google searches tell me this was a one-off project. (If it wasn't, I'd love to know more!)
The pacing of this was great, very quick again as I'd mentioned before and nothing ever dragged. Again this did mean we were a bit thrown into things at the beginning at readers, which took a second to adjust to just as the art did, but when I did fully adjust, I got really into it. I liked the different planets that we visited during this graphic novel and I thought they were all very creative and interesting.
One thing is, I do wish we could have had more time with these characters. I did feel connected to them but I wanted a bit more connection to Cody especially, as her backstory seemed interesting but we didn't get enough of it in my opinion! Her telepathic communication with her endangered lizard companion was very endearing and I do love a good animal sidekick - and this one, "Cosmo", was adorable!
The action and scheming of this graphic novel was great and I did enjoy that aspect of it a lot-! Apparently this author is quite iconic in the comics genre but I'm pretty sure this is the first project of his that I am reading so maybe I will need to check out more of his works. The ending of this one in particular felt like it was hinting a sequel, but again, I couldn't find anything, so maybe it was meant to be an intentional open ending or "fakeout"--I would love a sequel though if they made one!
Final side note - I read this one in essentially one sitting while listening to the Thor: Ragnarok soundtrack which was really the perfect vibes for this comic series and I highly recommend :)
For fans of Saga and/or Cowboy Bebop, this one-off comic series follows two criminals hellbent on revenge even when it takes them to many different planets throughout the galaxy.
First of all, I really enjoyed the coloring on this one, which was apparently done by Marcelo Maiolo so shoutout to them. This book was definitely aiming for an 80s vibes, with namedrops of Lionel Richie and Molly Ringwald, among other familiar franchises like Ghostbusters 2, and the bright, almost "neon", colors really added to this vibe and helped it pop. It almost had a "graffiti-ed" vibe in the best way and it fit not only the aimed-for 80s period but also the action-packed and interesting content.
I liked the artwork as well once I got past the first-chapter-or-so adjustment period, and the way that different alien species and planets were drawn was so much fun and interesting to look at. I definitely wanted to pause to look at different panels instead of just flying through the pages.
As for the story itself, it was a lot of fun and very fast-paced. I did find myself wondering if a comic book was necessarily the best fit for the story being told, as maybe an animated movie would work to bring this to life as well. In fact, the ending pages mentioned something about Netflix sketches which did get me slightly confused - was this ever a Netflix movie or special? Or was that scrapped? Or was this based on a movie? I felt even from the beginning that I was maybe hopping into a franchise I'd never heard about, but my cursory Google searches tell me this was a one-off project. (If it wasn't, I'd love to know more!)
The pacing of this was great, very quick again as I'd mentioned before and nothing ever dragged. Again this did mean we were a bit thrown into things at the beginning at readers, which took a second to adjust to just as the art did, but when I did fully adjust, I got really into it. I liked the different planets that we visited during this graphic novel and I thought they were all very creative and interesting.
One thing is, I do wish we could have had more time with these characters. I did feel connected to them but I wanted a bit more connection to Cody especially, as her backstory seemed interesting but we didn't get enough of it in my opinion! Her telepathic communication with her endangered lizard companion was very endearing and I do love a good animal sidekick - and this one, "Cosmo", was adorable!
The action and scheming of this graphic novel was great and I did enjoy that aspect of it a lot-! Apparently this author is quite iconic in the comics genre but I'm pretty sure this is the first project of his that I am reading so maybe I will need to check out more of his works. The ending of this one in particular felt like it was hinting a sequel, but again, I couldn't find anything, so maybe it was meant to be an intentional open ending or "fakeout"--I would love a sequel though if they made one!
Final side note - I read this one in essentially one sitting while listening to the Thor: Ragnarok soundtrack which was really the perfect vibes for this comic series and I highly recommend :)
July 15, 2022
Dos bandidas una con mucha cabeza y otra buena dando tundas, son traicionadas y dejadas en una megaprisión a su suerte, pero al liberarse, querran VENGAZA !!!
LO BUENO: El arte de Matteo Scalera es HERMOSO, puro dinamismo, energía, composición de pagina...todo lo hace bien, desde sus diseños con sentido ochentero a la violencia de sus golpes, es un tipo que lleva años dando paginas memorables y acá no es la excepción. Hay una pagina, en que toma a Molly y en cada panel , le cambia el vestuario, look, detalles en su cara y es un bombazo, además, cuando juega con perspectivas y con el uso de las cámaras de un teléfono celular en su escape, fue muy innovador y muy bien trabajado. Millar es bueno, y a veces se le olvida pero hay detalles como el calabozo sexual, la relación de los lagartos, el peleador matemático que demuestran que el tipo aun puede dar mas.
LO MALO: Millar es bueno, pero si bien tiene obras muy buenas, tiene un patrón que se repite al cansancio y se le ven las costuras:
Personaje superinteligente ( Prodigy, Empress,Ultimate X Men) , que sabe pelear mucho o se une a alguien de temer( Empress, Old Man Logan,Ultimate X Men) , hasta que una misión se tuerce hay una traición( Ultimates, Ultimate X Men, Jupiter,Prodigy ) , pero es un extremis, alguien saca una habilidad escondida o que fue descrita brevemente en las primeras 20 paginas( Huck, Reborn, Empress ,Magic Order), y acá están todos los vicios y movimientos del escoces , y la obra adolece mucho , le falta mas definición de personajes y tiempo para respirar.
LO BUENO: El arte de Matteo Scalera es HERMOSO, puro dinamismo, energía, composición de pagina...todo lo hace bien, desde sus diseños con sentido ochentero a la violencia de sus golpes, es un tipo que lleva años dando paginas memorables y acá no es la excepción. Hay una pagina, en que toma a Molly y en cada panel , le cambia el vestuario, look, detalles en su cara y es un bombazo, además, cuando juega con perspectivas y con el uso de las cámaras de un teléfono celular en su escape, fue muy innovador y muy bien trabajado. Millar es bueno, y a veces se le olvida pero hay detalles como el calabozo sexual, la relación de los lagartos, el peleador matemático que demuestran que el tipo aun puede dar mas.
LO MALO: Millar es bueno, pero si bien tiene obras muy buenas, tiene un patrón que se repite al cansancio y se le ven las costuras:
Personaje superinteligente ( Prodigy, Empress,Ultimate X Men) , que sabe pelear mucho o se une a alguien de temer( Empress, Old Man Logan,Ultimate X Men) , hasta que una misión se tuerce hay una traición( Ultimates, Ultimate X Men, Jupiter,Prodigy ) , pero es un extremis, alguien saca una habilidad escondida o que fue descrita brevemente en las primeras 20 paginas( Huck, Reborn, Empress ,Magic Order), y acá están todos los vicios y movimientos del escoces , y la obra adolece mucho , le falta mas definición de personajes y tiempo para respirar.
September 12, 2020
Bandidas Espaciais é uma aventura divertida de sororidade feminina em busca de vingança contra aqueles homens que lhes fizeram mal. Quando eu era pequeno tinha uma novela que passava na Rede Globo que se chamava Quatro por Quatro. Era sobre quatro mulheres que acabavam presas juntas e juravam vingança contra os homens que as fizeram ir para lá. Para isso, elas assumiam a missão de estragar a vida dos homens uma das outras. Bandidas Espaciais lembra um pouco esse clima de "malhar o Judas vou lá capar o Macho que a meta é se vingar". Só que também podemos acrescentar uma atamosfera e um visual incrivelmente anos 1980, isso porque segundo os autores "no espaço, os anos 1980 demoraram mais a chegar". É uma aventura em que também lagartos espaciais chamam atenção e salvam o dia. Também é interessante que é um dos poucos quadrinhos do Millarworld que faz uma ligação entre duas séries criadas por, claro, Mark Millar. Não vou revelar aqui qual é quadrinho mas que faz todo o sentido esse encontro com Bandidas Espaciais. Esta publicação não é o melhor trabalho de Millar em sua série de universos prórprios, mas garante uma boa diversão.
January 14, 2022
This is another Mark Millar creation that has issue 1 free on Comixology Unlimited. The first issue didn't create a feeling where I wanted to read the rest right away. I was intrigued at first of course but I was not excited like I was with The Magic Order series. Matteo Scalera's artwork is always superb and it brought to life the story with his detailed yet fast pacing. I highly recommend this book if you wanted to read Mark Millar's sci-fi universe, which I've heard a live-action adaptation is in the works with Netflix.
November 2, 2022
This is my third or fourth Mark Millar miniseries that I have read over the last two weeks. I am deep diving into his comics because I read them rigorously when released through out the ‘00s but fell off in the 2010s. This reading of the many passed over miniseries (all creator owned, or post 2017 owned by Netflix, which also retroactively applied to many of his creator owned titles), has been pretty disappointing and possibly even led me to the conclusion that his best work was work for hire for the Big Two (Marvel and DC). I still have quite a bit to read but so far…it’s not promising.
February 16, 2020
Mark Millar’s latest is a return to the cosmos with the most generic title you can think of: Space Bandits. Said bandits are Thena Khole and Cody Blue, each the leader of their own criminal ops that run heists across the galaxies. But when both women are betrayed by their crews, Thena and Cody get acquainted with each other during their prison time and plan their mission of revenge.
Please click here for my full review.
Please click here for my full review.
June 9, 2021
3.5 stars. A fun space adventure with some good female lead characters. I enjoyed the plot and pace, it is a quick heist type of story. I don't think it really need the 80's references, it didn't add much. The art is fun and really colorful. I recommend it.
October 29, 2023
3.5 stars. Your typical Millar story with likable characters, a wild plot, an interesting twist on a familiar genre, and of course some Millar twists. Actually enjoyed reading this one a good bit.
June 14, 2021
An incredibly fun, high-octane, sci-fi revenge romp of two wronged, badass women out for blood among the stars. Loved the characters and action, and the brightly colored illustrations make this a delight to read. Fans of Bitch Planet and Motor Crush will get a kick out of this one!
February 26, 2024
Fun, quick read. Definitely for the Girls girls.
October 11, 2022
3 stars. Great premise, needed better execution. Wouldn't have minded a sapphic twist, which I was admittedly hoping for.
January 30, 2020
Thank you to the publisher for sharing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Yep, this is the stuff. This is what I'm looking for in a comic. Two badass lady space bandits on a quest for vengeance... what more could you ask for?
After reading The Magic Order by the same author I was looking for something to tide me over until the next volume is released. Namely I was looking for fun, ridiculous plots and morally-questionable characters and some dry, sarcastic banter to top it all off. This fit the bill. The art is brilliant and cyberpunk, full of neons, sharp angles and plenty of the outrageous 80s styling we've come to appreciate in the 2000s. There was just the right amount of comic book violence. By which I mean, there's a lot, this book could double as a textbook for blood splatter forensics.
All this to say this really hit the spot, I'm glad I picked it up and will definitely be grabbing future volumes.
The eighties didn't reach the midwest until the nineties. Think how long they took to get to space
Yep, this is the stuff. This is what I'm looking for in a comic. Two badass lady space bandits on a quest for vengeance... what more could you ask for?
After reading The Magic Order by the same author I was looking for something to tide me over until the next volume is released. Namely I was looking for fun, ridiculous plots and morally-questionable characters and some dry, sarcastic banter to top it all off. This fit the bill. The art is brilliant and cyberpunk, full of neons, sharp angles and plenty of the outrageous 80s styling we've come to appreciate in the 2000s. There was just the right amount of comic book violence. By which I mean, there's a lot, this book could double as a textbook for blood splatter forensics.
All this to say this really hit the spot, I'm glad I picked it up and will definitely be grabbing future volumes.
August 2, 2021
The visuals are nice but it is too weird in my opinion. It kinda gave me an icky feeling. Just two of the characters threw me off. It was a mindless read and I completely bought it on a whim. Let's just say I still have the receipt. Not to say that I don't think others are well in enjoying it, it's just that it kinda left a bad taste in my mouth.
January 17, 2020
Fun, stylish sci-fi. Thelma & Louise meets Kill Bill meets Guardian of the Galaxy.
February 24, 2021
*3.5/5
October 3, 2024
Bajo el amparo de su acuerdo muchimillonario con Netflix, Mark Millar se ha animado a seguir engrosando catálogo de comics propios con potencial de adaptación audiovisual. Aunque The Magic Order se antojaba muy atractivo para Netflix, es cierto que el autor se desbarraba por completo en el potencial de las amenazas mágicas y sobrenaturales de ese concilio de hechiceros benignos en horas bajas. Así que una aventurilla space opera adrenalítica protagonizada por dos personajes femeninos de armas tomar es algo que sin duda entraría bien al algoritmo de la plataforma. Aunque de momento Space Bandits aún se ha quedado en el mundo de las viñetas. Y eso no es malo, sobre todo si Millar se agencia otro talentazo gráfico como el de Matteo Scalera que sin duda hace todo para que esta miniserie pase del simple "caramelito" comiquero más de Mark Millar. Y es que el autor, más allá de tener que concederle el seguir planteando storyboards más que comics, sí que empieza a molestar bastante el que siga empeñado en tener que añadir sus premisas "What If... ?" que en casos como esta Space Bandits molestan más que agregan. Aquí, es el hecho de imaginar que la moda ochentera terráquea llegase a la lejanía del cosmos plagada de civilizaciones alienígenas humanoides que puedan dar de sí tramas como las que implican a Cody y Thena. Dos criminales que por separado parecen estar a merced del hetero patriarcado más terrible, pero que al aunar el intelecto de una y la mala h*stia de la otra, conforman el Dúo Dinámico más prometedor de este universo criminal que va a asistir a sus respectivos viajes de venganza para todos los hombres que la llevaron a una inesperada penitenciaria espacial donde se encuentran y forjan su colaboración... y posible amistad.
Space Bandits entra de lleno en lo reconocible de su arquitrama de venganza de la más baja estofa de este mundillo espacial y la cómplice diversión de ver a estas dos "Bandidas" cometiendo tropelías mejor vistas que las de sus compañeros masculinos. Millar se guarda las espaldas al terminar dejando claro que ambas no buscan solo el caos y la violencia. No llega a idealizarlo del todo y lo más relevante. A pesar de que con una hace que entre en una dinámica de relación de pareja tóxica con uno de los personajes masculinos negativos. Logra darle una resolución bastante disfrutable (aún poniendo claras distancias a la relación entre Cody y Thena que aceptaré al no pasarse de la raya en hipersexualizar a ambas o meterlas de más en situaciones comprometidas... que aún con todo, hay que aclarar el nivel explícito de la obra; algo usual en el Millar indie por otra parte).
Pero como decía, Space Bandits destaca sobre todo por el artista contratado para dar vida a estas aventuras cósmicas pendencieras. Tanto Scalera como el color de Marcelo Maiolo y ese trabajo de diseño gráfico de Melina Mikulic hacen que Space Bandits pueda ser el trabajo más "goloso" para la vista parido para el "Millarworld". Algo que se deja claro cuando se contrasta con la parte de los pin-ups de artistas invitados que dejan claro que solo esa selecta unión de artistas visuales podría llevar al mejor punto esta historia (de la que quizás no llame tanto la atención darle continuidad... Pero entendemos que Millar no quiera dejar pasar toda posible gallina de los huevos de oro).
Space Bandits entra de lleno en lo reconocible de su arquitrama de venganza de la más baja estofa de este mundillo espacial y la cómplice diversión de ver a estas dos "Bandidas" cometiendo tropelías mejor vistas que las de sus compañeros masculinos. Millar se guarda las espaldas al terminar dejando claro que ambas no buscan solo el caos y la violencia. No llega a idealizarlo del todo y lo más relevante. A pesar de que con una hace que entre en una dinámica de relación de pareja tóxica con uno de los personajes masculinos negativos. Logra darle una resolución bastante disfrutable (aún poniendo claras distancias a la relación entre Cody y Thena que aceptaré al no pasarse de la raya en hipersexualizar a ambas o meterlas de más en situaciones comprometidas... que aún con todo, hay que aclarar el nivel explícito de la obra; algo usual en el Millar indie por otra parte).
Pero como decía, Space Bandits destaca sobre todo por el artista contratado para dar vida a estas aventuras cósmicas pendencieras. Tanto Scalera como el color de Marcelo Maiolo y ese trabajo de diseño gráfico de Melina Mikulic hacen que Space Bandits pueda ser el trabajo más "goloso" para la vista parido para el "Millarworld". Algo que se deja claro cuando se contrasta con la parte de los pin-ups de artistas invitados que dejan claro que solo esa selecta unión de artistas visuales podría llevar al mejor punto esta historia (de la que quizás no llame tanto la atención darle continuidad... Pero entendemos que Millar no quiera dejar pasar toda posible gallina de los huevos de oro).
April 11, 2024
Mark Millar has been on an absolute tear. It's hard to believe that Space Bandits, Chrononauts, American Jesus: The New Messiah, and Prodigy come from the same creator. Each series is wildly different from each other and each has been amazing. This bodes well as the series transition from print to streaming.
Space Bandits is particularly impressive in that it gave us a pair of really interesting female leads without falling into the "woke" trap of introducing "Strong" female protagonists that don't have much to offer beyond gender identity. Space Bandits would have worked just as well if the lead characters were men and I respect the thoughtful nature of the series.
I'm still not entirely sold on the 80's influence in the background. The motifs and color palette are spot on but it never impacts the story. I believe the look of the comic will transition better once it hits streaming especially when the soundtrack comes into play.
The art direction remains one of the strongest aspects of the comic. Most artists don't get much to do and the trend is to provide little action and endless exposition. Space Bandits has exposition but it's generally used to set up the next action set piece or gag. There is also a ton of variety in color, locales, and alien species. This makes Space Bandit's one of the most visually interesting books on the shelves.
The book ends exactly the way I expected which isn't really a complaint. If the ending went in a wildly different direction to subvert expectations it would have thrown the series out of wack thematically.
There is bait for a sequel although I don't believe the series needs one. If a sequel does happen I will support it as Space Bandits has exceeded all expectations.
Space Bandits is particularly impressive in that it gave us a pair of really interesting female leads without falling into the "woke" trap of introducing "Strong" female protagonists that don't have much to offer beyond gender identity. Space Bandits would have worked just as well if the lead characters were men and I respect the thoughtful nature of the series.
I'm still not entirely sold on the 80's influence in the background. The motifs and color palette are spot on but it never impacts the story. I believe the look of the comic will transition better once it hits streaming especially when the soundtrack comes into play.
The art direction remains one of the strongest aspects of the comic. Most artists don't get much to do and the trend is to provide little action and endless exposition. Space Bandits has exposition but it's generally used to set up the next action set piece or gag. There is also a ton of variety in color, locales, and alien species. This makes Space Bandit's one of the most visually interesting books on the shelves.
The book ends exactly the way I expected which isn't really a complaint. If the ending went in a wildly different direction to subvert expectations it would have thrown the series out of wack thematically.
There is bait for a sequel although I don't believe the series needs one. If a sequel does happen I will support it as Space Bandits has exceeded all expectations.
June 17, 2024
I have mixed feelings about "Space Bandits". On the one hand, it is a pretty fun, action-packed story. Both of the main characters, Thena and Cody, are out for revenge on those who betrayed them. Their story was written in a fun way. They both also balance each other well and get along well also. The action was solid.
I also enjoyed the art of the book and worldbuilding overall. The colors match the 80s space feel of the story - and I thought that was cool. The designs of the characters were good altogether. It was also cool to see the different worlds and planets in this story - and Matteo Scalera did a good job in showing the worldbuilding through the art.
With that said, I am not the biggest fan of the characterization in this book. There isn't much character development or depth to the characters, sans at the very end. We mostly see a revenge motive for the MCs, but not much beyond that. The antagonists are primarily motivated by greed and are fairly one-dimensional.
The plot was interesting, but a bit predictable at times and a bit rushed. While the pacing did fit the action and feel overall, it was a bit too fast at times. Perhaps this doesn't fit the tone of the story, but I think it would've been better to develop the characters more and further flesh out the story. The reader is thrown into the action early on.
Altogether, Space Bandits is a fun and straightforward read. The art is good and the story is fun, though I think more depth could've been added to the plot and characters.
I also enjoyed the art of the book and worldbuilding overall. The colors match the 80s space feel of the story - and I thought that was cool. The designs of the characters were good altogether. It was also cool to see the different worlds and planets in this story - and Matteo Scalera did a good job in showing the worldbuilding through the art.
With that said, I am not the biggest fan of the characterization in this book. There isn't much character development or depth to the characters, sans at the very end. We mostly see a revenge motive for the MCs, but not much beyond that. The antagonists are primarily motivated by greed and are fairly one-dimensional.
The plot was interesting, but a bit predictable at times and a bit rushed. While the pacing did fit the action and feel overall, it was a bit too fast at times. Perhaps this doesn't fit the tone of the story, but I think it would've been better to develop the characters more and further flesh out the story. The reader is thrown into the action early on.
Altogether, Space Bandits is a fun and straightforward read. The art is good and the story is fun, though I think more depth could've been added to the plot and characters.
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