Space-Mullet

I'm not sure if the story was that interesting but I liked the main characters and the way they interacted a lot. The artwork was also really cool. I would read more just to see how they get out of trouble next time.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Fantastic work from a major talent. Daniel Warren Johnston is distinct in his work and style. Well worth the read, and heavy metal fun from a publisher that always delivers.

Thank you Image Comics and Netgalley for this ARC.

SPACE MULLET promises Firefly and Cowboy Bebop vibes, and delivers.
There is space, different planets, a not so shiny spaceship and your ragtag crew of misfits doing good as they go along.

The art and story are good, and the characters are charming.
I had a great time.

Space Mullet is original, unique, and a damn amount of fun. I enjoyed the artwork as well, and to be honest that’s not even something I usually pay attention too in graphic novels closely.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Image Comics for an advance copy of a graphic novel about the future, outer space, the crimes we allow, and the families we make while trying to atone.

When people wanted to get away from themselves, or reputations no matter how true or unfounded, they went West, changing names, or hiding out from they were, or what they were afraid of becoming. Outer space might soon be the new west, as people trying to get away work in the vaccum of space, going place to place, never settling, and always worried, about that past that always seems close behind. And the violence that it portends. Space Mullet written and illustrated by Daniel Warren Johnson is the story of a man on the run from his past, and his slow allowance of people coming into his life, making him whole, while helping others, some of the time.

Jonah is a deep space trucker who takes the jobs that few others want, but one's that keep him out of the spotlight. Once Jonah was a Marine, until the day his force took part in a atrocity that made him go AWOL, and also hate himself. Jonah's partner is an alien by the name of Alphius who loves to cook, and bust on Jonah, while being his friend. Jonah gets a call from a fellow marine, who says there is proof about the war crime that Jonah was involved in, and too clear himself Jonah is going to have to retrieve it. This starts a cascade of events, leaving many hurt, much destruction and enemies being made. However as Jonah finds more people, people damaged or with reasons to hide like he does, a bond is being created, a bond that might change everything.

A big sprawling book featuring space opera, PTSD, the racism and xenophobia, and the importance of letting people help when they can. Jonah is an interesting character, capable of wanting to do the right thing, mostly incapable of doing it right. The story is a lot more than I thought it was, with a cast that grows, and really elevates this from a simple space story to something bigger. Plus the book is pretty funny. Funny in many ways, from oh man these guys can't rescue anybody, to just plain old jokes. The balance of jokes and tragedy really made the story hit harder. The artwork was very fitting. Nice detailed backgrounds, cool looking tech, and characters that look alien, and yet seem familiar. This might not be for all ages, teens have probably seen worse on TikTok, but it is a violent book, so be warned if that is something that might bother you.

I have read quite a few things from Daniel Warren Johnson, recently his story Do a Powerbomb!, which if one likes wrestling, or theology one will enjoy. I liked this as it had a sense that Johnson was feeling out what he could do, the emotional depth, the use of art, and character development. A fun story, with a lot of heart.

This was great. The artwork was fabulous, and the story was interesting. It was quite funny, and I found myself smiling a lot whilst reading. I’m looking forward to reading more by the author.

"Space-Mullet: One Gamble at a Time " is the the unrepentantly high octane, dysfunctional loser-buddy Space Opera romp about found family and second chances that you did not know was missing from your life.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Image Comics, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

I had a great time with this comic, the artwork was excellent, and the central concept was well executed.

A bunch of outcasts finding community and support within a small group is one of my favourite tropes. This one comes with a little more hard hitting material than most, with a very Alienesque feel to its corporate dystopia.

I received this DRC from NetGalley.

I thought this was just going to be a goofy action adventure, but there was a surprising amount of emotion in the stories. There are moments of levity, but also some depressing themes. I also enjoyed the artwork. The limited color palette served it well. Entertaining read.

Really loved the title for this series and the cover art was intriguing.

Jonah and his alien friend Alphius are trying to keep their space trucking business going whilst trying to avoid the authorities as Jonah is a deserter and this forms a large core of the main story.

The whole of this collection though is taken up with bringing the disparate crew together, all with their own secrets and needs to stay hidden.

I loved the sparseness of the illustration style, used to great effect to portray the action throughout the story.

I also loved the nods to our own era in the form of Imperialism and racism, and how this effects interactions throughout the various character arcs.

A great space romp with lots of directions to go in as this was just the gang getting together storyline.

and yes I could see the reasons why it would be aimed at fans of Firefly and Cowboy BeBop.

I was given this by NetGalley and Image Comics in exchange for an honest review.

Space Mullet is a pretty decent science fiction comic. It's got some cool world-building and a cast of serviceable, if not deep, characters. The art is nifty. It's got an old school Paul Pope feel to it and it really helps create a sense of texture. This is a lived-in universe and the art shows that.

The story itself moves nicely. While there are several subplots and flashbacks, the story doesn't feel overstuffed or bulky. The main character, Jonah of the titular space mullet, is the focus of most of the character development work. I could have used some more of the supporting cast, but I think the focus served the story well enough.

3.5
This story has an interesting universe, but I found myself growing uninterested in the story as nothing really is explained. The first 3 chapters focus mainly on Jonah trying to escape his past, and Alphius being dragged alongside him. This part of the story is interesting, but it feels like it ends abruptly. The second half of the story brings in another person, Peggy Sue, but I personally find it a bit sloppily done. Also, Peggy Sue joining the crew literally isn't shown nor explained, she's just suddenly there. If the story was a bit more polished, I think I would have enjoyed it more. The art style is unique, and it's really well done. The action scenes were excellent, and so dynamic! Full landscapes of giant spaceport cities were also amazingly done. The art really makes you feel the sheer size of the spaceport city. I also enjoyed the limited palette, it gives the art a nice flavor. This story does have some Cowboy Bebop vibes, but it had a bit of Tank Girl to it as well. Apparently, this was originally a webcomic, but I looked it up, and its last update was back in 2017. It appears that this standalone graphic novel was actually meant to be the first volume in a series. This makes sense because as a standalone novel, it does not work.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

This was a really cool graphic novel. I enjoyed the art style and the plot immensely. I've always really liked sci-fi stories and this is one of the better ones I've read. The plot wasn't confusing but I'm left with wanting more because it seems like this is only volume one of the whole story. We barely meet the characters before the story finishes a bit abruptly. The first two parts were about the two different groups coming together (Jonah, Al and the little alien that I think was unnamed?, and Peggy and Howard) but the third part was one of their first adventures together. All three parts were good but I was hoping for a little bit more backstory and maybe one more adventure of all of them together. What we have is still really fun though! An alien sprouting out of a dishwasher was not what I expected at all.

I'm interested to know how Peggy, Al and Jonah are going to get along because Peggy very vehemently hated Al and his race of aliens (I think its called Zozobians). They didn't seem to talk about that at all after they all came together and started travelling. I also, for some reason, thought Bobbi was part of the crew. I thought I saw her on the cover so it was very unexpected to me that she died. I didn't see it coming at all. I also hate that some of her last words were her apologizing for being selfish. It was her money. She didn't owe Jonah anything. She just met the man and I wish she had survived because she was such a kind and sweet person and SHE WAS ALMOST FREE! I hate that she was used as a plot device for Jonah. That wasn't fair to her.

Summary:

Jonah is an ex-space marine with a bit of baggage. But that's not stopping him from exploring the galaxy (far from it). He and Alphius are finding new adventures together, though usually these adventures come with a side of danger. But that just makes them all the more exciting, right?

Review:

Okay, if you pitch a series to me and describe it as Firefly meets Cowboy Bebop, but with a twist – you know I'm going to read it! Enter Space-Mullet Vol. 1. This is the first volume in a new series, and I've got to say – it's got SO much personality. If you're looking for something new to check out, be sure to give this one a try.

There's a lot to enjoy about this series, even right from the start. I love the characters and overall atmosphere and especially enjoyed the chaotic quest vibes. I will say that I don't know the characters all that well (yet), but that will change.

Oh! And let's not overlook that artwork. Honestly, if I had been on the fence about Space-Mullet, the artwork probably would have sold me on it. I enjoyed the rougher quality – it leans nicely into the space cowboy aesthetic, giving it solid yet unique feel.

Highlights:
Sci-Fi Graphic Novel
Misfit Space Adventures
Firefly & Cowboy Bebop Vibes

Thanks to NetGalley, the Publisher and Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

"Space Mullet" by Daniel Warren Johnson was fun! The story is a gritty space opera rich in characters and their lived experiences as a crew.

The first two chapters were my favorites. I also really enjoyed the artwork. It's a bit crude, simple and only a few colors are used, but it goes perfectly with the tone of the story. The action scenes are great and the character descriptions are cool. I hope we get more of this humour, action and adventure, because so far this story rocks.

On Goodreads:

4.25/5⭐️

Ok say I really enjoyed this read. I knew I’d get a couple of laughs but the big conversations of corruption and discrimination hooked me in. The color pallet used was perfect. There were like 3 (main) colors and it worked so well.

Ex marine Jonah and his copilot Alphius have such an endearing friendship. Them trying to survive and not kill each other over toilet paper while wandering the universe had me in a chokehold. The other misfits they encountered really brought together a nice found family dynamic and reminded me of Firefly TV Show. A show I LOVE. These were some all around really like able characters.

Thank you netgalley, Image Comics and Daniel Warren Johnson for allowing me to read this graphic novel.

Once this gets going I think it’s really interesting and I like the characters a lot. There’s a lot of gore and peril here, but it didn’t make the story scary if anything it endears you to the main characters. There were a handful of typos or omitted letters in the text bits, but I am assuming it’ll be fixed in post-publication. Shout out to NetGalley for the ARC copy for my review. Looking forward to reading the next installment when it comes out in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley & Image Comics for the advanced e-copy.

4 stars!
Image is releasing a remastered print edition of this webcomic adding a new extra chapter never published before, and let me tell you, this was fun!

The story follows Jonah, an ex-marine now space trucker, and his friend/shipmate Alphius, an alien with a heart of gold. In the first part of the story, Jonah decides to stop running from his past as a deserter and they both embark on a mission to one of the poorest planet of the universe to silence someone who's threatening to release footage of a massacre Jonah and the marines were involved in years before.
In the second half of the story, new characters are added when the crew arrives to New Mars City seeking urgent medical assistance. But this place is divided between humans and alien races. So Jonah has to gamble everything to save his friend. Here we follow an eclectic cast of characters, mob bosses, doctors and nurses, and athletes competing in a mortal race.

I have to say, the first two chapters where we focus on J and Al were my favorites. The friendship between them is quickly established so when chapter three and four come the stakes are high. I really liked the foundation of their bond. Chapter four is a bit messy, it's the big finale of this first arc where our characters meet and end up together as a the crew. Here, I feel like the pacing suffers a little, however it's still good fun and a good set up for what's next.
The issue is, in all of these years, a second volume was never published, though there were a few more chapters available online. This remastered first volume adds chapter 5, and though silly fun, it felt out of place. It's just a one off adventure and very very short. The good: we finally see the characters acting as a crew together, figuring out the dynamics between them. They are bickering and still getting used to each other in the midst on a attack inside their ship. The negative: Chapter Four ends up in a very dark place and this new adventure is completely disjointed to the main story. The tone is also very comedic, so it's a very abrupt change from story to story.

That being said, I actually really enjoyed this title. The artwork worked for me, it's a bit crude, a bit simple, only three colors are used, but I think it goes perfectly with the tone of the story. The action scenes are great, the character design for all these varied alien race are cool. We see the ugly, messiest part of this universe in this story, and the art was perfectly imperfect for these landscapes and characters.

I don't know if we will get more of Space-Mullet published, I truly hope so because I want to see more of this crew having space adventures together. I want to see them become a found family while fighting monsters and each other. I want more of this humour, action and adventure, because so far this story rocks.

I will be purchasing for my library collection. Fun graphic novel, great illustrations and characters.

Big time Firefly/Cowboy Bebop vibes. The art as always from DWJ is amazing. I swear I can look at any panel 100 times and still find new details. The story is nothing crazy new but it is highly entertaining and as all DWJ stories has a lot of heart. I am curious if he plans to do more in this universe because it felt very much like set up for more to come. I'd honestly be a little disappointed if this were all that came from Space-Mullet as the potential is great. The last story being a kinda funny, kinda heartbreaking little short really set up more dynamics to explore later. I honestly give it a 4 because its entirely set up and Jonah is not my favorite leader ever but if there is more I am interested to see who he becomes and where DWJ's creativity takes this rag tag team. Thanks to NetGalley and Image for the ARC of Space-Mullet. Look forward to picking up a hard copy soon!

A rollicking good time in the farthest reaches of space with a motley crew who wins by just not dying. And clean the dishwasher!

There's less romping and more sadness in this comic than the cover implies. There are some devastating moments in these issues, with complex characters in a sci-fi world where death never seems far away. The art in this is incrediblely detailed and brings the space opera setting to life. This first volume serves as a character introduction more than anything, and I'd want to see longer arcs in upcoming issues.