Review: Skyward Vol. 1- My Low-G Life

Quick Summary

Pros: The concept behind this book is unique and discovering more about it is very enjoyable. The mystery introduced through the story is compelling. The artwork looks good and is a great complement to the narrative.

Cons: Many of the secondary characters are uninteresting. The pacing is strange at points.

Overall: An incredibly interesting concept and some great looking artwork make this an optimistic start to a brand new series. This is a comic about a world without gravity, a world that is an absolute joy to learn more about and a treat to see on the pages of this book. Alongside this concept is a story that makes some positive strides but doesn’t manage to stand out as anything truly incredible. However, in the end, the potential presented by this comic is still very high and should make this book worthwhile for anyone looking for a unique twist on a traditional comic world.

Story

The story in Skyward Vol. 1: My Low-G Life is pretty average but is backed by an extremely interesting concept. The entire book centers around a world where, one day, gravity ceased to exist. This allows writer Joe Henderson to craft a comic universe where everything feels fresh and all of the experiences feel unique, which leads to a very rewarding reading experience. The actual drama occurring in this world is also somewhat compelling and occasionally exciting but ends up taking a backseat to the world itself. However, since this is only the first volume in a brand new series, there are still plenty of opportunities for this comic to define itself and improve upon the story in future volumes.

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At its core, My Low-G Life follows an entertaining story about a young woman named Willa and her father’s attempt to return gravity to the planet. They are almost immediately opposed by the richest man in the world, which creates some exciting conflict and even allows for a rather emotional moment at the book’s conclusion. Along the way, numerous elements of mystery are also introduced into the mix, all of which hint at larger and more dramatic plot threads to play out in the future.

However, this central story is also plagued by a few key problems that take away from its overall appeal. Most of this collection’s characters, outside Willa and her father, are pretty lackluster and uninteresting. This is particularly troubling in the case of the book’s villain, who’s turn from good to evil is pretty uninspired. In addition, the pacing of this book is rather odd in some places. The narration will spend a great deal of time explaining one plot point and then rush through another one, diluting its impact and importance. These problems prevent the story from being anything more than average, which is unfortunate considering how much potential there is at the core of this book.

Luckily, the concept powering My Low-G Life is so well-executed that it makes up for many of the collection’s flaws. Right from the start, readers discover that this is a universe where human locomotion has been radically changed and the entire fabric powering society had to be rebuilt. This allows for the entire structure of the comic to flow in a different way. Then, as the book progresses, readers begin to notice other differences caused by a lack of gravity, ones they may not have thought of at first. These differences, like the sudden prevalence of agoraphobia and the restructuring of how rain works, are very fun to learn about and help further develop this burgeoning world. By the conclusion of this story arc, discovering more about the physics powering this book is the most interesting aspect of the collection.

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Art

The entirety of My Low-G Life revolves around a world where gravity is nonexistent and all the fundamental rules of society and of physics have been altered. Artist Lee Garbett does a fantastic job of bringing this imaginary world to life and making it feel like something tangible. The carefree manner in which characters bounce about the world matches the dynamic energy one would expect from a world free of weight. Meanwhile, subtle details found throughout the artwork indicate minor ways in which the world has changed in order to accommodate its new status quo. It also helps that Garbett’s work is simply gorgeous overall and looks particularly beautiful when paired with colors from Antonio Fabela. All in all, this is a good looking book and a wonderful choice in art styles for this series.

Continuity

Skyward Vol. 1: My Low-G Life is the first volume in a brand new comic series and has no connections to previously existing comics.

The story here continues in Skyward Vol. 2: Here There Be Dragonflies (Review).