In space nobody can hear you angst… I think.
Someone isn’t angsting, however, and that’s TOKYOPOP. With the Best of 2006 Awards over and done with they came off rather well in the AmeriManga category, getting the win with TWO of their titles who ended up tying for it (Svetlana’s Dramacon & Alex de Campi’s Kat & Mouse). So, while we wait for the eventful end of Dramacon (October 2007 it should be) and the continuation of Kat & Mouse how about checking out another one of TOKYOPOP’s line-up of titles, this one taking you into space above and beyond with Earthlight (Volume 1).

It’s the year 2068 and we’re visiting Earthlight Lunar Colony… three months after an “accident” which seemingly has killed three. This may mean nothing, but as the book ends this “incident” may mean everything… then again maybe not. Whet your whistle yet?
Anyway it’s 2068 and newbie to space life Damon Cole has just arrived on this international “melting pot” of scientific discovery and global tensions aka Earthlight Lunar Colony. There he finds good old fashioned teen angst (which he’ll suffer abit since his mom is this totally hot female teacher, and his dad is the Chief Admin of the whole colony) and hatred of those different than you (in this case good old fashioned Mobile Suit Gundam hatred between spacers and “weeders” from Earth) in the form of a violent punk boy who likes to harass our man here while he whacks around his girlfriend (if Damon so becomes her new boyfriend after the old one… I don’t know… falls out of an airlock or explodes or whatever… then good riddance)? Yeah, his days in the colony isn’t going to be a good one… for him, but for you that’s something different.

First off notice how beautifully drawn this title is. Artist Christopher Schons really pulls out a nice tour de force of visual splendor and manga beauty that just looks good. Stuart Moore, as the writer, takes what could have been a simple teen angst in space book and gives it a bit more depth which makes it more than just a cookie cutter alsoran sci-fi teen epic, from the grave tidings of it’s opening volley through the relationship woes of newcomer Cole to Earthlight, to a shocking end when one of the cast turns out to be a “terrorist” and holds the world hostage… but is his/her reason for this really what he/she says it is? Or is there more to this than meets the eye? The book ends with you wondering just what the heck is going to happen next… which should bring you right back here when the next volume hits wanting more.

That is good, because the book overall is a nice well rounded package of nice writing, characters you can get into (and follow), all set into a nice beautifully drawn world that just look good. Add a twist of the knife ending which leaves things up in the zero gee air and we have a nice set-up for next time.
I am not quite yet sure when it’ll all come to pass yet, and Volume 2 will hit, but when it does I hope to review it for you as soon as I can. Until then no need for a breakdown since this is easy to round up for you.

Teen angst in space takes on abit more depth as newbie to Earthlight Damon Cole finds life in space is going to be abit more trouble than just dealing with the ignorant ones of his own age… especially with the way the book ends. Love, life, finding your place in a new home… and a sudden betrayal by one of the cast opening a terrible terrorist incident at the end of the volume all set the stage for a recommended sci-fi teen drama which is solid all about on all scores. 4 petitions for a monument to James “Scotty” Doohan on the moon out of 5.