Caliban #1

   You can usually count on writer Garth Ennis to serve up a hard-edged story, and he does that (and then some) in the new science fiction horror comic Caliban.

   It's actually a straightforward tale focused on the starship named Caliban (natch), which is transporting a living cargo - workers for a mining colony.

   As the story begins we meet the quirky members of the crew, a mix of likable and not-so-likable characters.

   Their journey runs into a major problem - literally - when they encounter what appears to be an alien ship - and that's when the real horror begins.

   The art is by Facundo Percio, and it captures the dark, cramped conditions aboard the ship - and offers a sharp design for the alien encounters, too.

   Science fiction is all too rare in comics today (sad to say), so it's nice to see a smart SF story. It's not for kids - there are some grisly moments here - but it's a strong start for this new series.

Grade: A-

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