'Galaktikon' by Brendon Small with art by Steve Mannion is an irreverant space comic about a pretty unlikeable hero.

Triton, who never removes his mask, is being divorced, for pretty good cause. He's kind of a jerk and probably deserves to be cleaned out. Meanwhile, a major criminal has made a jailbreak. Triton, moping in space, will need to save the day with his sentient ship and robot that speaks in guitar riffs.

It's definitely over the top, and part of me wanted to like it, but it's filled with a bunch of characters I didn't want to care about (except for maybe the guitar riff robot). The art is fine and I liked it well enough.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Albatross Funnybooks, Diamond Book Distributors, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I enjoyed this tale of a down-on-his-luck superhero, Triton, whose wife divorces him after he's caught sending a dick pic to an underage stripper. To top it all off, his arch-nemesis escapes from prison and starts dating his ex while Triton is getting mandatory therapy. While on the therapy planet, he gets kidnapped just as he's made a breakthrough, and will be forced to fight with other combatants in a gladiatorial game against a giant monster. Things just aren't going his way. I liked the story arc, the pace was pretty steady, and the character developed well. The artwork was pretty cool, kinda retro, Heavy Metal in the 80s. Also a "making of" sort of thing at the end, explaining the evolution of the story, from the album to the graphic novel, then the short film. If you're a fan of Brendon Small, you'll dig this. If you like snarky superhero space stories, you'll like it. Good cheesy fun.




review was submitted on bn.com at the time I posted this review, but hadn't processed yet.

In the vein of “Metalocalypse”, the aspect of a hero bathed in death metal fighting hell is an interesting concept. but the creator of that perception here takes on an aspect of space opera mixed with heavy metal. “Galaktikon” [Brendon Small/Albatross/144pgs] is an no-holds barred narcissistic hero redemption story that is built within an idea (like “Jolly Roger“) that the characters being shown are fallible, desirous but also prone to lapses in judgment. Triton here is a washed-up hero who never takes off his helmet in saving his space anchor girlfriend Liz, not even when they are having sex or partying. When she finds him moving around and cheating on her, she pushes for a divorce on a planet known for it. The breakdown in communication as Triton tries to escape and his mother computer sends him to a world planet for therapy which definitely plays to the id in the play of the journey. Like “Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy”, it uses the robots and the ship’s computer as the basis for friendship until Triton gets pulled back in with his love for his former girlfriend who, at best, her horny friends help her pick up a guy in a bar who happens to be mired in sludge. He eventually takes off his mask after his therapist dies and dunks himself in the kill pool where he becomes reborn. One of the guards waiting to feed Triton and his fellow captors to a monster is manipulated and brought back into the fold. Triton realizes his error but the excess of color, profanity and the fact that one of the droids speaks in guitar licks is interesting within the structure of the narrative. The author is inspired by old Roger Corman sci fi films of the early 80s but also by the music of Queen and ELO. This pacing might make for a grand film in the essence of “Guardians” but with an R context. It’s an interesting journey to be sure and one that is realized in short form on Funny Or Die and could make an interesting expanded universe.

B+

By Tim Wassberg

I found this book to start out rough, both with writing and art. Eventually the style of both grew on me. By the end I really liked the character development and story arc. The tie in to other media, music and film was an awesome addition.

This reminds me of something that would have appeared in <i>Heavy Metal</i>. It's irreverent, strange, and wordy. Triton is the galaxy's biggest superhero. He's really hit the skids though. Sending out dick pics, getting divorced and drinking. He only goes to therapy when he has no choice. Meanwhile one of his old villains has busted out of prison and is looking for revenge. This wasn't as funny as the author was striving for and droned on for way too long in places. It was OK, but probably only recommended for fans of <i>Metalocalypse</i>.

I’ll be honest. When I find out that a graphic novel is part of a larger multimedia project, I tend to cringe and avoid the graphic novel. I have had far too many experiences where the graphic novel was clearly tacked on and wasn’t given the attention it needed to be a worthwhile project, or was so contingent on another aspect of the project (usually a music album or video) that reading it on its own leaves you with a nonsensical mess. So I was more than a little trepidatious when I started up with Galaktikon, Volume 1.

Triton is a retro science fiction-style pulp hero, who has risen in popular attention and garnered significant accolades. So when his marriage falls apart following some public infidelity, Triton’s private life becomes the number one topic of conversation. Turns out, divorce is even worse than fighting evil space monsters. As Triton sets out to get his head right, his worst enemy takes advantage of Triton’s state of distraction to set off a campaign of evil that even the universe’s greatest hero might not be able to stop.

Following a depressed, alcoholic former space hero through his emotional breakdown may not sound like fun, but it was an absolute blast. There is a lot of action, as one would expect out of a retro space opera homage, and it balances nicely with a deft inclusion of comedy and emotional pathos. Triton’s recovery from the end of his marriage is something he must work through, not get over, and this emotional intelligence infuses the story, creating a healthy foundation for the comedy and action to spring out of.

I really loved Galaktikon, Volume 1. If you are looking for an action-packed space opera adventure, it delivers. More impressively, it manages to play host to well-defined and fleshed out characters that grow throughout the story. This was one of the highlights of my space opera graphic novel reading this year.

This review will be available at the provided link on 2/21/19.

It was a relief to come to the end of this and find it was a spin-off of some other media, for I was wondering when the title character would turn up. What we have is a louche, flippant and sweary space opera, with a hero right down in the dumps and needing to save himself. I think the moral and core of the story come on heavy in the last issue (the interviews at the end prove the author often writes backwards, leading up to and not following on from his ideas), but it's still a reasonably fun read. It's a little bit too gonzo for my taste, so only three and a half stars.

I reviewd this on Wordpress. I will not be copy pasting the review on here. You can follow the link down below. Galactikon was right up my ally thats as much as I would like to say here...

Based on Brendon Small’s 2012 metal album of the same name, Galaktikon follows the antics of Triton, a falling hero getting over his divorce. His intimate photos leaked, and everyone in the galaxy can admire his pecker.

While the concept is funny, it tries to be too funny at times. I'm sure many readers will dig it, but the parody tired me fast.

This is an amazing read! If you are a fan of Heavy Metal Magazine, you have to pick this up. It's so good.

It took me some time to get into this but as the story gathered pace it became really fascinating. Triton, the main character, is a flawed hero. Everyone loved him when he was saving the universe and he had saved his wife several times. This made him everyone's hero but it didn't last long. A drunken mistake sees him divorced, homeless and seen as an all round general loser. He is left with his space ship and two robot friends for company.

Triton shuns everyone and heads off a to planet to receive therapy and there as he seeks to understand himself the unthinkable happens and the planet is attacked. Triton's arch enemy breaks free from prison, kills a number of people and ends up taking Triton's ex-wife hostage.

Triton manages to pick himself up, save a whole bunch of people, thwart the plans of the bad guys and rescue his ex-wife. The best thing about this heroic action is that Triton doesn't blast in as the all shining hero, he rides to the rescue having empowered others and more aware of his own flaws. He also recognises the need for his friends.

I ended up enjoying this. It was interesting to see Triton as a flawed but capable hero. The book is quite long and with lots of dialogue but the story draws you in. I loved the way Triton manages to subvert the plans of his enemies and overcome them. I also like the way he redeems himself but doesn't yield to the mistakes of his past.

If you like graphic novels and flawed intergalactic heroes, then you will like this story.

The author also has a great music video so you get to see Triton escape from the clutches of the bad guys and this is all set to music!

https://www.funnyordie.com/2018/2/21/17721258/galaktikon-nightmare

Copy provided by Diamond Publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.