Review: COLONUS #1 by Ken Pisani and Arturo Lauria

Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz on “The Big Bang Theory”

So, let’s go back a bit to that placement of a specific comic book on the hit TV show, “The Big Bang Theory.” That would be the episode where the guys are trying to buy tickets to go to Comic-Con International in San Diego. In “The Convention Conundrum,” broadcast January 30, 2014, we see Simon Helberg thumbing through the pages of a copy of “Colonus.”

This brings up an interesting story since “Colonus” does not exist…and least not exactly. You can see a sneak peak for now. It will roll out soon, and when it does, it is sure to make a big bang. Later this year, it will come out in issues of Dark Horse Presents followed up by a collected edition, also published by Dark Horse Comics. This is a rather unique creation from the talented team of Ken Pisani and Arturo Lauria. Both of these guys know how to tell a good story. Pisani has built up his writing chops over a career in television. And Lauria can hit it out of the ballpark with his bold artwork.

“Colonus” has a nice bite to it. The scenario is intriguing. All our characters are either on Mars or Venus. There is no more Earth to live on anymore. Think of the hit movie, “Elysium,” (review here) about the power play between the haves and have-nots in the not so distant future. This time around, in “Colonus,” the elite took over Mars and all the outcasts ended up with Venus.

But a funny thing happened along the way. The Mars community became complacent while the Venus crew gave it all they got and developed quite nicely. So, of course, Mars comes knocking on Venus’ door, 100 million kilometers away. But that doesn’t mean Venus is answering. Well, as we see, Colonus is not exactly a friendly host! This is a nice step forward into some intriguing sci-fi.

I can see how Colonus fits in with Dark Horse Comics. You have a great balance of sci-fi, a touch of horror, and a perfect dash of quirk. The artwork really brings it all together. Lauria has a style that evokes Mike Mignola while still very much his own. It’s a gritty and angular style with just the right amount of deadpan humor mixed in. Just what you’re looking for in a story that is as much about characters as anything else.

There’s an interesting exchange between an emissary from Mars and Colonus. As the conversation heats up, Colonus confronts a hot topic, what should have been obvious a while back (spoiler alert – that would be our own present!):

You knew from experience what two centuries of belching burnt coal and fossil fuels can do to heat up a planet in a hurry.

Colonus is sure to please. On the strength of only its 8-page opener, it won the award for Best Comic or Graphic Novel at the first annual Geekie Awards last year. Stay tuned for further developments by visiting the Colonus site here.