The second volume of “Roche Limit” begins with an intriguing and gorgeous opening chapter in “Roche Limit: Clandestiny” #1 by writer Michael Moreci, artist Kyle Charles, and colorist Matt Battaglia. This is an excellent introduction for new readers and contains the promise of expansion into a universe that Moreci has said will be fleshed out in a trilogy that will weave together what is already a growing tapestry of fun and mind-expanding adventure.
Written by Michael Moreci
Illustrated by Kyle CharlesTHE BREAKOUT HIT OF 2014 RETURNS WITH VOLUME TWO OF THE GROUNDBREAKING SCI-FI TRILOGY! It’s 75 years after the events that left the Roche Limit colony in flames. When a crew of military and science personnel are sent to the forgotten and desolate planet on a mysterious expedition, they quickly learn its dark secrets—and that their mission is not what they thought it to be. With danger lurking all around, the crew members fight to find a way off the planet and resist the mysterious presence that haunts them all.
There’s a vast difference between the first volume and the first issue of the second volume of “Roche Limit”. Like the previous series, there is a heightened sense of suspense and mystery that lurks in every panel. We are introduced to a space crew that are on a mission to discover what has happened to the Roche Limit colony. This group of space explorers are far from home and encounter strange and hostile things that can’t be explained. Though time has jumped forward by many years and different characters are involved, Moreci clearly has a plan to tie together stories of a world he has transferred from imagination to the page with his talented collaborators.
Unlike the previous Roche Limit tale, however, “Roche Limit: Clandestiny” #1 builds toward a cliffhanger that reveals a story that is extremely different tonally when compared to volume one. Science fiction elements are more pronounced, with artist Kyle Charles and colorist Matt Battaglia contributing to this tale’s vastly differently look. The back matter in the book’s last pages highlight the fact that events are about to get much more strange than what we have seen in the rest of the issue. Moreci is upending expectations and that’s what great science fiction (and stories in general) must do in order to be successful and effective.
There are some essential ingredients to concocting an effective sci-fi story. Besides astounding visuals, the reader must become invested in the characters. Moreci has succeeded in introducing us to characters with psychological scars and demons that are just brimming beneath the surface of their being. Sasha, an explorer, watches a video message from her family that is over two years old. Tears stream down her face, with the reader not knowing why this crew is out to inspect a colony that now appears devoid of any living thing. Moreci has also introduced a heroine in Sasha who is reminiscent of Ripley from “Aliens”. Like Ripley, she has a complex mixture of both moments of introspection (as witnessed above) and pure heroic bravery. The splash page toward the beginning with her standing tall on Roche Limit while holding a big gun is rendered pretty impressively by Charles.
Moreci has created a unique world and it is evidenced by the characters’ dialogue, the allusions to past events yet to be revealed, and the promise of Roche Limit’s shocking future. With added elements such as back matter that illuminates the past of a possible antagonist to veiling his words just enough to entice us, Moreci has written a tightly woven script that feels both natural and well-thought out. With the addition of a superb artistic team, “Roche Limit: Clandestiny” #1 is a solid first issue.
Where the first volume had moments of suspense and a subdued simplicity within Vic Malhotra’s art, Charles’ art in this first issue exudes a feeling of both that same dread but with an added sense of heightened energy on every page. Fires burn, space ships crash, and even the inside of a spacecraft have lived-in nooks and crannies that seem fit to burst with stories of exploration and the people who have tirelessly lived on and worked within its metal walls. His style is appropriate for a science fiction story that, like “Aliens”, requires the reader to enjoy spectacle while also empathizing with the characters. Roche Limit comes alive in a dystopian, yet very much alive, manner.
Continued belowBattaglia uses an interesting color palette that is brighter than expected and yet infuses the issue with an ethereal quality. The colors add a dream-like nature to Roche Limit and its surroundings, compelling us to ponder and fear the unknown that lurks beneath a desolate surface. Purple, pink, and magenta (and sometimes yellow) permeate almost every panel. Whether it’s the sky, the light bouncing off a character, or clothing, these intense colors add to the mystery and confusion inherent in these explorers’ situation. The swirling mass of yellow, orange, and assorted colors hovering above the sky is just as gorgeous and intriguing as the simultaneously dank yet starkly beautiful interior of a spaceship. Color contributes to the feeling of not knowing what to consider a threat and what can just be taken in as something simply aesthetically pleasing (if anything like that even exists on Roche Limit).
“Roche Limit: Anomalous” was one of the best series of 2014. Judging by the first issue of “Roche Limit: Clandestiny”, Michael Moreci has continued to impress by upending expectations and continuing his epic that I can’t wait to unfold and connect with the other parts as the issues are released. The addition of Kyle Charles on art, along with Matt Battaglia’s colors, only enhances the abilities of the writer and artists. The complexity of Roche Limit and its mystery are, and will be, worth exploring.
Final Verdict: 8.9 – “Roche Limit: Clandestiny” #1 is a great introduction to a series that is only beginning to unravel its mysteries.
