ComicsNew sci-fi comic Man’s Best has only just launched but I’m already in love with its three cute animal heroesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ComicsNew sci-fi comic Man’s Best has only just launched but I’m already in love with its three cute animal heroesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: BOOM! Studios)
BOOM! Studios debuted Man’s Best recently. The sci-fi comic, from writer Pornsak Pichetshote and artist Jesse Lonergan, follows three animals on a starship full of human refugees and it’s one of the most instantly gripping new comics I’ve read this year.
Spoilers for Man’s Best #1
(Image credit: BOOM! Studios)
The issue opens with our furry friends in battle. Right from the off it’s clear that these are no ordinary pets: Porthos has mechanical legs; Lovey can fly and has a great big rocket strapped to his back, while Athos has a robot suit that both protects her and shoots lazers from the eyes.
Although it’s quickly revealed that this is merely a simulation it gives a glimpse of the threat in question: the Klangers, mysterious robotic foes (who, for our British readers, are quite different tothe Clangers!). We quickly learn that humanity is concerned with trying to find a new home world and that the ship is en-route to Epsilon-32. Unfortunately, the planet seems to have vanished without trace.
(Image credit: BOOM! Studios)
There are a lot of mysteries to unravel here. Who are these Klangers? What has happened to Epsilon-32 and what is this new planet that’s just popped up? And did we really just witness the last remains of humanity wiped out off-panel?
Regardless of the eventual answers, this is an absolutely stellar first issue. Pichetshote’s scripting quickly gets you up to speed on who the three animals are, lingering on Lovey’s anger and Athos’s lack of confidence, while also sketching in the relationship dynamics between the human characters. He has compared the book to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, another story about three lost animals - the line-up of a bulldog, retriever and cat even matches - but it also shares similarities with Tony Fleecs and Trish Forstner’s Stray Dogs, which told its story from the pet’s eye view, and Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s We3.
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(Image credit: BOOM! Studios)
But the obvious reason for buying this book is Jesse Lonergan’s art. It’s a gorgeous blend of manga aesthetics and soft pastel colors that manages to be cartoony while also maintaining a high level of technical detail that fully sells this future environment. This is already a pretty dark tale and I foresee a certain amount of heartbreak before the story’s end, but it’s told with such a gentleness and warmth, both in the writing and the art, that it’s instantly inviting.
Of course, making cute animals the focus of your story is a tried and tested way of getting a reader on-board. What can I say? I’m clearly an easy mark for this sort of thing. We’re just one issue into Man’s Best and I already love these little critters and want the best for them. You will too: go read Man’s Best #1 now.
A few years back we interviewed Pornsack Pichetshote and artist Alexandre Tefenkgi abouttheir brilliant crime comic, The Good Asian.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5
Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
1
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1
Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”