HaloGen #1 (of 4)
Publisher: Archaia
Writer: Josh Tierney
Artist: Afu Chan
Cover: Afu Chan
Tierney doesn’t take your hand and walk you into the world of HaloGen as much as you’re sent diving into it’s world. Sure that’s a reference to Rell on the cover but it’s the perfect explanation to how things start off here. There’s a brief explanation regarding the dead god floating in space and the mysterious deaths of the cult that worshipped it. By the time we meet our protagonist, Rell, she’s already in the middle of a mission regarding the body and dabbling in some corporate espionage on behalf of HaloGen. Tierney hints at the world these characters live in and how they function as a society which does help with the world building. However, it’s what is said about Rell that is really the most interesting along with how she perceives herself and the issues with the halo above her head. There’s also a nice little exchange between Rell and an employee of the rival company, SecuriCorp. Tierney uses this to ease us into the workings of the holosuit and introduces a character that may either be friend or foe.
When it comes to the visuals there’s a great mix of alien types that inhabit Cityship Q which helps to pull you further into the story. There are plenty of human looking characters around as well but Chan makes sure to give them something extra that helps them stand out. Rell’s character design is quite interesting when you consider her halo and how she wears her hair. Her bangs resemble a solitary wing like that of Sephiroth and looks great when she’s suited up with the full mask on. The look of the robot, Verdigris, is several layers of creepy which refreshingly puts her out of the “sexy killer robot” line up that sometimes finds a way in books like this. The only issue that kept me from fully enjoying HaloGen was the overlapping dialogue bubbles which interrupted the flow of some conversations. It’s something that didn’t happen too often but it was a bit frustrating.
HaloGen might have some very familiar sci-fi elements and that’s just fine. Tierney and Chan don’t have to break new ground with this series, only continue to tell a good story that started right here. HaloGen already feels like it’s much larger than a four issue mini series so hopefully if everything works out well there will be more of Rell along the way.
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