From Aspen Comics, David Wohl, Emilio Laiso, Brett Smith, Josh Reed.

Aspen Comics brings you the second issue of Homecoming, their new aliens and high school series.  That’s just to simplify it though.  Aliens and high school can be done poorly (cough*Roswell*cough) or well, as in Homecoming.

Everything about this comic book hits all the high notes Aspen Comics is known for.  An impressive feat in only the second issue.  The art, as always, is incredible.  Emilio is knocking it out with this book.  Every character has his or her (or its) own dimensions.  The variety leads to great postures and emotions that take the story up that extra bit.  From anger to fear to excitement to that horrible feeling of awkwardness that most of us funny book loving people remember all too well from high school.

Josh does so many books and the more of them I read the more subtleties I see in his work.  He uses different sound effects and colors in here that I don’t see in his other Aspen work.  Lettering is the fine wine of comic books.  Only appreciated as it and we age.  Josh Reed is becoming my favorite vintage.

Brett Smith is rocking me with his color palate.  His great chromatic choices for characters and rooms bring them to life.  Its less comic and more picture.  No plain backgrounds here.  I can picture each classroom and home as if its in my own home town.

All of this comes back to Wohl’s story.  While last issue I was wrapped up in Celeste’s story, this issue Jay Anne became the focus.  High school is hard enough being a “normal” freak.  Being an actual freak has to be one of the most painful experiences of any teenager.  Well, at least until next issue.  I have a feeling there are many more twists and turns ahead for this group of friends.

Its so rare to find a good interesting well written sci fi high school story.  Despite many attempts on big and little screens each and every year.  Homecoming is succeeding where so much WB and CW have failed.  My only complaint is that this isn’t weekly.  But if waiting longer leads to quality like this I’m all for the anticipation.