Filed under: Exquisite Reviews | Tags: Adam P Knave, Alasdair Stuart, Caio Oliveira, Colin Bell, District 9, Elysium, Exit Generation, Neill Blomkamp, Project EXIT, Ramon Villalobos, Ruth Redmond, Sam Read
Written by Sam Read
Art by Caio Oliveira
Colours by: Ruth Redmond
Letters and production by Colin Bell
Cover by Ramon Villalobos
Edited by Adam P. Knave
http://samreadwrites.com/exitgen/
In 2035, a generation long evacuation of the planet launched. The EXIT Project was designed to evacuate all of humanity to a new world. It went wrong before it even launched, with only 95% of the planet’s population able to fit aboard the ships. The other 5% were left behind. Jack’s mother, pregnant with him, was one of them. Jack’s father was aboard the ships.
The 5% watched in horror as a fault in the oxygen systems on all the ships wiped out everyone aboard. There was nothing they could do, no rescue possible. 95% of the planet’s population died due to a simple error.
20 years later, the Earth is a very different place. With almost all the strain on the environment gone the planet is a quieter, more peaceful place. Jack, adopted by his friend Mo’s parents, celebrates his 20th birthday with old punk rock records and dreams of adventure. Unfortunately, those dreams are about to come true…
Sam Read is one of those writers who does everything right. This is a book that could buckle under the weight of its concept but Read lets it breathe, establishes the premise and the leads and then kicks them both over in a way that’s as confident as it is delightfully, horrifically absurd. It’s like Mars Attacks invaded District 9, and Read doesn’t shy from either the horror or lunacy of the premise. He also plays his first Ace straight away, with the massively depopulated planet meaning every single death has impact to it. We’re outnumbered from the first page, it just takes us 20 years to realize that.
On the art side of things, the book is just as good. Oliveira’s style is detailed and fluid, coming off as something between Frank Quitely and Darick Robertson. Characters are expressive and natural, action is fast and brutal and the more outlandish elements work precisely because they’re drawn with such care and precision. Redmond’s colour work also impresses, giving the book a natural, outdoor feel that, again, reminds you of Neill Blomkamp movies. Finally, the inimitable Colin Bell turns in still more good work on lettering and design.
Together, this team do the same thing Sam and his friends will have to do; marshal their forces and produce something extraordinary. Clever, humane and nasty, this is science fiction comics at the top of their game. Go get it.
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Travelling Man's Blog 
Reblogged this on Sam Read Writes and commented:
Travelling Man review ‘Exit Generation #1’!
And you can find issues #1-3 at all their stores now!
Comment by samuelread October 27, 2014 @ 2:33 pm[…] Read‘s Exit Generation (Spoilers on that second link by the way) was one of the best comics I read last year. […]
Pingback by PSA: Exit Generation, What It Is and How You Get It | The Man of Words July 17, 2015 @ 2:38 pm[…] Read‘s Exit Generation (Spoilers on that second link by the way) was one of the best comics I read last […]
Pingback by PSA: Why You Should Pre Order Exit Generation | Travelling Man's Blog July 17, 2015 @ 2:49 pm