I’m a pretty big fan of Jonathan Hickman and this futuristic Top Gun styled time travel story is right in his wheelhouse. This four part mini-series from Image Comics uses a lot of proven formulas  but with a scientific twist that Hickman is known for.

Hickman gives us a futuristic military story that follows life-long friends and now cadets Valin and Dominic. They arrive at a space station called Valhalla in hopes of qualifying to fly the military’s TAC II fighters. Time travel has been incorporated into warfare and the TAC II’s are able to jump from one time period to another.  Dominic’s father flew a prototype but was lost and presumed dead after being attacked and jumping through time. Dom has held out hope that perhaps his father was able to survive the encounter and that hope has driven him in his quest to become a pilot. In other words, Hickman gives us more  than just a military action book. There are some nice characters and some interesting dynamics to build on. His story has a cool cinematic feel but I am hoping for a little more character development as the series progresses.

Nick Pitarra’s art style isn’t one I would normally like but it really works here. It’s a simple but effective look and with the exception of a few clunky panels it does a good job of conveying Hickman’s story. Pitarra does a nice job of creating a believable world filled with futuristic technology and landscapes and I’m anxious to see how he handles more extensive action sequences as the series moves forward.

This is a fun and unique project from Hickman and Pitarra. Hickman sets up his story with good character introduction and a nice future based world. Pitarra’s art isn’t going to “wow” you but it fits this book nicely. I had a lot of fun with this book and I’m excited about what’s coming next.