Writer: Edward Haynes Art: Martyn Lorbiecki Publisher: Self-published
WHAT IS IT?
A self-contained "one-shot" story about the last two survivors of a space station explosion.
It's a lot like Gravity, but with a greater focus on hope and togetherness.
WHAT'S IT ABOUT?
(Minor Spoilers)
After their space station explodes, Mark and Florence are the only survivors. They're each in separate remnants of the starbase, drifting further into space, unable to see each other and only able to communicate through a 2-way radio.
These two people, complete strangers to each other, must fight the elements and the urge to just give up in the face of impossible odds, in order to survive
WHAT WORKS?
Haynes captures a wide range of humanity and emotion in few words
It's difficult to tell a complete story in only 20-ish pages while also making you like and worry about the characters, but Haynes & Lorbiecki tell a solid and compelling tale here
Also, writers just starting out in comics often feel like they need to jam-pack every panel with dialogue or exposition, but Haynes isn't afraid of silences and lets Lorbiecki do a lot of the heavy lifting, which works very well
I really enjoy Lorbiecki's art
He gives a lot of thought to pace, scale and balance
His facial expressions convey so much emotion without relying on overwrought line art or super close-ups
The use of a limited color palette is excellent here, giving each character their own color and environment, adding a balance between warm and cool, but also draining the other colors away so the environment feels more unfriendly and inhospitable
I also think the characters' positions throughout are interesting (see below)
Thinking about when they face each other vs. facing away from each other and what that subconsciously and sub-textually communicates
It's kind of great that of the two characters, one is a woman and the other brings some LGBTQIA+ representation
WHAT DOESN'T WORK?
While it does seem very derivative of the film, Gravity, in concept, I'd argue that Gravity focuses more on perseverance and capability of a single person while DRIFT is about holding onto hope in the face of adversity and how our connections with others can save us from giving up
A little crude language if you're worried about kids reading that
WHY SHOULD I READ IT?
It's a touching, beautifully watercolored, emotional story of hope and togetherness when we think we're alone and our situation is hopeless.
WHAT DO I READ NEXT?
If you like the writing:
Saltwater by Rick Quinn & Dana Obera
LOW, Vol. 1 by Rick Remender & Greg Tocchini
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra
If you like the art:
The Ghost Butterfly, by Rick Quinn & Martyn Lorbiecki
Dept. H, Vol. 1 by Matt Kindt
Descender, Vol. 1 by Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Edward Haynes – Writer
Writes about comics at Multiversity Comics
Edits a literary magazine featuring stories by writers who are transgender, Across & Through
New Face: This is his first full-length comic!
Martyn Lorbiecki – Art & Letters
Mostly works with watercolor, often with limited palettes
Is a big fan of, and is influenced by, anime and dystopian sci-fi
Outlander: Lives in the UK, but is half-American
HOW DO I BUY IT?
Click one of these:
From etailer Gumroad.com
The image(s) used in this article are from a comic strip, webcomic or the cover or interior of a comic book. The copyright for this image(s) is likely owned by either the publisher of the comic, the writer(s) and/or artist(s) who produced the comic. It is believed that the use of this image(s) qualifies as fair use under the United States copyright law. The image is used in a limited fashion in an educational manner in order to illustrate the points of the author and not for the purpose of entertainment or substituting the original work. It is believed the use of this image has had no impact on the market value of the original work.
All Edward Haynes & Martyn Lorbiecki characters and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are trademarks of and copyright Edward Haynes & Martyn Lorbiecki or their respective owners. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.