Reviews 

“The Expanse Origins: Alex Kamal” #3

By | May 26th, 2017
Posted in Reviews | % Comments

I love The Expanse. I love it! I’m a long time fan of the book series, and I think the TV show is one of the best things to happen to science fiction in years. My enthusiasm for the adventures of the crew of the Rocinante is as vast as the space between planets, and I desperately want The Expanse to succeed in every medium, especially comics.

My experience with the third issue, the origin story of my favorite character, Alex Kamal, was not a good one- until it was. Come with me on my journey through The Expanse Origins: Alex Kamal.

Cover by Scott Newman
Written by Hallie Lambert
Illustrated by Huang Danlan
Colored by Juan Useche
Story by James S.A. Corey, Hallie Lambert, and Georgia Lee
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Before Alex Kamal was a member of the crew of The Rocinante he was a pilot for the Martian Congressional Republic Navy. As family pressures rise Alex is forced to face the realities of where his heart lies and what future he wants for himself.

From the get-go, I was skeptical of Expanse Origins #3. It does not have much of a cover, and while that would be a superficial criticism in other media, covers are important in comics! Instead of a full image, the cover is a simple field of stars with the show’s logo, the title, the issue number, and the credits. Already, I was worried that this was a simple cash grab; an attempt to make some money off of fans of the show without offering any substantive content.

The first few pages did not alleviate my concerns. Unlike some other recent adaptations of TV shows that were adapted from books (there are more than you may think), this iteration of The Expanse is slavishly devoted to the style of the show. One of the unfortunate realities of The Expanse on TV is that main characters like Naomi can’t be fully realized with the long limbs and thin bones of someone who was born in space. The comic has no effects budget, but doesn’t step away from the show’s budget-concerned style.

Then the comic takes us to Mars. Here artist Huang Danlan gets to do something a bit more interesting and show us beautiful Martian vistas and the domed cities that the show has only been able to portray in passing. This comic has a great take on Mars from the skylines to the public spaces to the apartments. The backgrounds however, are really lacking. More often than not, panels of two characters talking are again monochromatic backdrops, which is not only boring to look at, but in a setting as fully developed as The Expanse, it’s an enormous wasted opportunity.

The characterization fares a little bit better. We come to see Alex Kamal leaving the Martian Navy to return to his family. His compatriots are going to miss him; he’s a hell of a pilot and he makes a mean lasagna. Little details Alex’s culinary talents show how devoted to the source material the writers are. Same with the Martian accent. “You take care pardner,” Alex’s superior officer drawls.

Projects like this always give a prominent credit to the original creator, but as the issue unfolds, it becomes clear that James S.A. Corey (actually two guys: Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) were actually involved in the plotting of this comic. It’s rich in Expanse backstory that the books and the show have only hinted at. The main writer of the comic, Hallie Lambert, is credited as a “writing assistant” on the show, and wrote the acclaimed episode “The Weeping Somnambulist.” Halfway through the issue, it becomes apparent that not only is this canon, it’s presenting a story that Expanse fans have never seen.

That’s not enough though. What’s a comic if it doesn’t have an emotional core? For most of the issue, I found the comic to be sort of empty. One sequence of Alex telling his son a bedtime story about his wartime exploits was a lot of fun, and drawn in a Sunday Morning Comic Strip style. Danlan gets to show Alex battling The Dread Pirate Fleet of Cthulhu, and its as nerdy and delightful as Alex himself.

Continued below

Then, in the space of a few pages, the issue drops its bombshell. It shows the moment where Alex decides to leave his family, abandon his kids, and return to space. This critical moment has been hinted at throughout the show and the books, but seeing it play out was something else entirely. I was ready to dismiss this book wholesale, but the sudden strong emotional core reminded me of the best parts of The Expanse. I got emotional. I reconsidered my favorite character.

Do I think that someone coming in with no experience of the show or the books would get much out of this? I do not. This is for Expanse completionists only. It’s not a great comic. Ultimately though, it does more than fill it a minor piece of backstory. It has the same emotional honesty that makes The Expanse such a great franchise.

Final Verdict: 6.6 – Not great comics, but fans of the series may shed a tear for the toughest decision of Alex Kamal’s life.


Jaina Hill

Jaina is from New York. She currently lives in Ohio. Ask her, and she'll swear she's one of those people who loves both Star Wars and Star Trek equally. Say hi to her on twitter @Rambling_Moose!

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