A Preamble

I’ve never been a stranger to comic books.

As a kid, when I lived in what I referred to as “the red house”, my father had a den that housed all of his comic books. I loved when he would reorganize because that meant I would go to a random box (usually X-Men) and peruse the covers of each book – letting my imagination blossom with each new plastic-covered issue pulled up from a cardboard-contained pile of dreams.

I liked talking about comic books with friends, collecting the cards, reading the back, surmising who would win a fight against whom. But I never actually read the comics. I would get close. I had a toybox that had a Jack Kirby comic (yeah I’m very regretful about that) that I tore to shreds when I couldn’t read. I think the first comic I actually began the attempt to read was Batman’s Knightfall. It was the first time I had noticed that these things were SEQUENTIAL! I attempted to start lining them up to determine if I had them all in the right order. I must have been 7 or 8.

Again, though, I didn’t actually start genuinely reading them until one day when I was 15 or 16 and I was procrastinating in cleaning up my room. I didn’t want to clean, and I certainly didn’t want to do homework. So it was finally time to start reading these things that I just had laying around.

In comes Incredible Hulk by Peter David. I was hooked. I thought that from then-on I would be a reader for life. I read all the way through to around my mid 20’s before I moved to Seattle and began having a harder time finding the time to go to the comic book store.

Sure I never stopped reading comics, but I wasn’t nearly as invested as I was from 16 – 21.

Back on topic

Why did I write that? Surely there was a reason. Well – yes and no. Lets be honest, if you’ve read anything from me then by this point you know I’m prone to the rather rambling diatribe on a regular occasion, so why would this be any different?

I wrote all that to say that this is my first time writing a genuine review of a comic. Something I’ve never done before and is a bit daunting.

Get to the meat already!

At 25 pages – Outlaw Nights is a set-up story. It’s not an origin story by any measure but it certainly begins its journey in establishing the characters. The story centers around Cyrus Lawson, a character who finds himself unwittingly thrust into a world of pirates and renegades, far from the initial aspirations of a peaceful life.

A lack of long exposition makes the narrative fairly well-paced, introducing readers to this universe without overwhelming them. The plot is driven by a combination of personal stakes and larger-than-life conflicts, keeping me engaged from beginning to end. I would say one part I could have done with was a few quieter moments. Until the end of the plot it feels like the entire story is the beginning of the rabbit hole, which makes sense due to this being merely the first issue. I guess I just wish for more issues to set more of the tone and give me the downtime I relish in storytelling.

Cyrus is a relatable main, whose journey from borderline innocence to reluctant hero is compelling and well-articulated. The supporting cast is generally pretty straight forward, with only a few pages for us to get to know these characters it’s very difficult to pin down one stand-out. I did appreciate the quick flash of their name to add some levity to the story. I could feel the animation within those parts, giving us tone. This kind of “down the rabbit hole” makes it a bit more difficult to follow one solid narrative thread, and very minimally dilutes Cyrus’s personal journey.

The artwork is nothing short of spectacular. Simon Pothier and Michael Beacon have pulled out the stops. In fact the very scene that pushed me toward backing the 2nd chance backer campaign was still my favorite shot in the story.

The illustrations are dynamic and detailed, capturing the chaotic energy of space battles within this planet and the gritty realism of the characters’ environment therein. The color palette is vivid, enhancing the sci-fi elements of the story while grounding it in a visually coherent world.

The action scenes are particularly well rendered, with a clear sense of movement and impact that drew me into the fray.

Fuselier’s writing is sharp and engaging. The dialogue feels natural, with each character having a distinct voice. There are moments of humor that lighten the tone without undermining the story’s seriousness. It conveys the tension and urgency of the characters’ situations, making for a gripping read.

My biggest point of criticism is in something that I have been harping on for the last couple weeks: it’s world-building. While it introduces a fascinating universe, the world we are given isn’t as in-depth as I would have preferred. The setting feels rich with potential, but the limited exploration in the first issue leaves many aspects underdeveloped. I can’t go too hard, however, as this is likely due to the constraints of length and the fact that it’s only the beginning of the series. Future issues will hopefully delve deeper into the lore and mechanics of this universe, alleviating my need for a more comprehensive understanding of the world Cyrus inhabits.

Overall, Outlaw Nights – Genesis of a Renegade is a strong start to what promises to be an exciting series. Ben Fuselier has crafted a universe that promises to be populated by complex characters and high-stakes action. The combination of stellar art and compelling storytelling makes this a must-read for fans of the space opera mixed beautifully with borderline western and action-adventure genre. I would like a deeper dive in each of the characters and a less break-neck pacing in the future with a solid bead on lore building, but that comes with future iterations of the book. Altogether it offers and engaging and immersive experience that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next issue like it has for me.