From the team at QAM Comics comes yet another digital comic in the guided view/Thrillbent style. This time, writer Quinton Miles teams up with artist Daniele Cosentino to tell the story of Cody Bennett. Cody wakes up on an alien planet, with no memory of how he got there or how he’s apparently been made king. Worse yet, he’s started a war. With his trustworthy guards, Cody journeys to find the missing pieces of his memory and possibly a way home. Issue two is now on Comixology.
Cody and his trusty guards Zorg and Stus journey to the waterfalls of Gorz in an attempt to regain his lost memory. Riding their majestic liosters (lion/hamster hybrids), the group make great time, but are ambushed upon arriving at Gorz. Taken captive and imprisoned, Cody finally sees a face from his previous life.
Quinton Miles is basically an unknown writer, but he’s doing great things with his comics over at QAM. Xeno Trip continues to be absolutely hilarious and inventive, all while being a pretty darn enjoyable read. The introduction of the noble and dangerous liosters into the story made me crack up pretty good, all while the flashback sequences helped to build upon the large story and Cody’s past. The beats of the story are well suited for the incremental page progression that the guided view style offers, taking full advantage of only having a narration or motion revealed with each click.
Daniele Cosentino gives the world of Xeno Trip a light and fun look, all while nailing the character emotions. I would never think that a hybrid hamster/lion could be both threatening and cuddly, but Cosentino made it happen. The character designs on the aliens continue to be interesting, making them both human and exotic at the the same time. Mostly, you have to love a flattop on a green-skinned alien.
Xeno Trip is John Carter meets The Hangover, and the creative team is executing is perfectly. It’s a fun concept from a great creative team that’s easily accessible for an incredibly low price. It’s what more digital comics need to be like, honestly. Issue #2, along with issue #1, can be found on Comixology for just 99¢, along with other comics from QAM Comics.
Script: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Parental Concern: It’s rated 15+ on Comixology, so it may not be best for the young ones.
