By d. emerson eddy — Here's something a little bit different for the final installment this month at a look at some of comics' best space operas. This one's still creator-owned, though there are two creators involved, but it was self-contained, sadly didn't spawn a lengthy ongoing series, but was still a fun exploration of the genre. With a twist. While we've seen swashbuckling, politicking, and tragic destiny, this one blends intrigue into the mix as a James Bond style action thriller. I'm talking about SCI-Spy from Doug Moench, Paul Gulacy, Jimmy Palmiotti, Paul Mounts, and Clem Robins.

Originally published as a six-issue mini-series by Vertigo in 2002, SCI-Spy thrusts us into a future where Earth has been left behind as doomed and humanity has made a new foothold around Arcturus and beyond. Humans have enhanced and adapted their genome resulting in a wide array of human-like forms, but into this world we have the “skin-pure” Sebastian Starchild, agent of SCI (an acronym that I'm sure is revealed somewhere in the latter half of the series, but doesn't seem to be high on the series' explanations), who prefers to do things alone. It's the arrival of a strange, all-consuming nanotech lifeform that forces Starchild to work with another agent, Isis Nile, and discover some shocking secrets of the origin of the Arcturus humans and the fate of Earth.

The story moves at an absolute breakneck pace, giving little time to breathe between major story beats, and it's this action and drive to keep going that makes the story overall so incredibly fun. It's full of some of the ridiculous, smarmy one liners that you expect from a Bond-type, sex and violence, and weird sci-fi elements. It's a very nice blend of action thriller and space opera, especially as those secrets are revealed.

The series came towards the later work in Paul Gulacy's career, presented here at some of the extremes of exaggeration in his style. Gulacy had previously employed some bits of realism earlier on previous collaborations with Doug Moench in “Prey” in Legends of the Dark Knight and Master of Kung Fu, with exaggerated musculature, but here the oddities are dialed up a notch, giving the characters and world a rather alien feel. Really only Sebastian Starchild feels normal and I think that's a subtle way to convey some of the underlying themes of change, while making the world and characters themselves a unique and compelling look. The shadows and darkness of this world are wonderfully plumbed through Palmiotti's inks.

Paul Mounts and Clem Robins give the book a look with their colours and letters that was consistent across many Vertigo books in the '00s. Mounts uses a nice glow of blues, purples, yellows, and green covered in a bit of haze across a starfield to embrace conventions of both science fiction and spy thriller. Robins' gives us some great word balloons that lean into that sci-fi feel for the voices of some of the robots.

Overall, SCI-Spy is a fun romp from Moench, Gulacy, Palmiotti, Mounts, and Robins. It's a well-told, propulsive action thriller within a sci-fi world that will grab hold of you and not let you go until you've finished every page.

SCI-Spy

SCI-Spy
Story: Doug Moench & Paul Gulacy
Penciller: Paul Gulacy
Inker: Jimmy Palmiotti
Colorist: Paul Mounts
Letterer: Clem Robins
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: December 8, 2010
Price: $8.99
Order The Trade: SCI-Spy
Buy It Digitally: SCI-Spy

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d. emerson eddy is a student and writer of things. He fell in love with comics during Moore, Bissette, & Totleben's run on Swamp Thing and it has been a torrid affair ever since. His madness typically manifests itself on Twitter @93418.