Genre: 18+ (adult humor)
Release date: April 2013
Writer and artist: John Maybury
Cover: full-color
Interior: full-color
Synopsis: Space Babe is holidaying on Mars, preparing to join Doctor Stones for some archaeological action at Syrtis Major. But why is she obsessed with getting tanned and why is it harder than she expects?
The Deal
I walked into Orbital Comics earlier this year and was drawn to the very colorful covers, when I flicked through them, saw the artwork and then I had to pick up the two Space Babe 113 comics (episode one and two) that were for sale. I'm only going to be talking about episode one here but no need to worry I'll get to the second part later.
The Feel
First thing you notice is the bright and unusual colors, that's why I took one out of the rack in the first place. The printer did an excellent job on the bright colors. You can make any color you like on the computer getting them printed is a whole different matter and I must say the printer has done an excellent job with this one.It's a DVD booklet sized comic with a fold-out cover. Credits on the outside part of the fold-out. No page is wasted, the comic runs from cover to cover. The comic is made of shiny stock paper with a significantly thicker cover and two evenly placed saddle stitches holding everything together.
The Story
Space Babe is a little naughty but fun to read. I didn't read any of the earlier stories and that can sometimes be a little bit confusing. I did however read the back cover, that helped me to understand that Space Babe has artificially intelligent talking knickers, otherwise I may have thought those talk bubbles came from some place else. Space Babe is in love and tries to do what she thinks her Doctor Stones needs are that's why she's trying so hard to get a tan. Will it work? That's the question. She's a very sexual person and has absolutely no issues with nudity which makes life much more simple. I liked the part with the mars rover that really made me giggle. I'm already looking forward to the next episode. The story built up nicely, we got to know some background about Space Babe, her friend and her love for Doctor Stones. For mature readers only.The Look
Every pane feels like a work of art. The colors and the lines make a visual spectacle. There are no lines in the background or around the white speech bubbles, only around the figures. Not much detail in the background or on the faces. The type is all the same except when the nickers talk, which is handy to keep them apart from Space Babes bubbles. There are only two different pane layouts in this comic, either five page wide panes underneath each other (see picture) or six panes per page in three rows of two. I think this makes for easy reading and it keeps things organized. It's also very synchronized and all colors on a page match together perfectly. I also like that page numbers are written out completely at the bottom of each page instead of there just being digits.The Conclusion
If you're over eighteen and don't cringe when things of a fun and mature nature cross your path then this may just be the comic for you. If you're looking for a book of people doing 'things' then this is not for you. The unusual colors will mesmerize you and drag you into the story taking you along for the ride pane by pane. I'm glad I chose this comic when I was in London. It's always though when you're looking, because I'm in England so infrequently I have to make quick decisions usually based on the artwork and reading a bubble or two. I'm glad I made the right one in this case.How to get a copy
If you shop at Orbital Comics then you're in luck because they stock Space Babe 113, a copy costs 2,50 GBP. If you can't find it or want to meet the artist then please visit the Space Babe 113 personal website, you'll be able to see where you can meet up and purchase the Space Babe 113 comics from Maybury directly. I hear episode three is at the printer (October 2014), so I'm sure it won't be long until it's out.
