REVIEW: ‘Far Sector,’ Issue #1

Far Sector #1 is published by DC Comics under the Young Animals imprint. It is written by N. K. Jemisin, art and colors by Jamal Campbell, and letters by Deron Bennett. Due to the request of the ruling council of The City Enduring, Green Lantern Mullein has been assigned to help protect the people of the city. However, when a citizen is found half-eaten, the world of The City is about to change. No murder has occurred in 300 years. The proper local authorities are woefully out of their element. Luckily, Green Lanterns shine in the brightest day or blackest night.

Far Sector #1 is a well-paced issue that balances story, character, and world-building wonderfully. While the focus is primarily on Mullein, through her you get to see what makes The City Enduring unique. Writer Jemisin does a great job of establishing Mullein as both the protagonist as well as the reader’s viewpoint in this brave new world. This establishes both character and city nicely. Due to this wonderful establishment, I’m looking forward to learning more about the city and its denizens.

While the setting of Far Sector #1 feels unique all on its own, the reader is also given hints that there are some special circumstances surrounding Lantern Mullein and her place in the corp. While little is said directly in this issue, it seems Mullein has been given the ring with a deadline and expectations.

Given how by the numbers the Guardians of the Universe tend to be I hope there are plans to further clarify what circumstances have brought about this special situation. And, given the timing of this issue’s release, one cannot help but wonder if these special circumstances may end up tying back into larger events unfolding in Green Lantern:  Black Stars. 

The visuals for Far Sector #1 are excellent. The sleek, pristine elegance of the “city of the future” feel is in full display throughout the book. With so much storytelling obsessed with gritty stories, it is a nice change of pace to see Sci-Fi that shines. It further gives a sense of potential loss and peril to the story. Seeing how beautiful everything is makes the potential for it to all be stripped away that much more threatening.

But capturing a gorgeous setting isn’t all the art excels at. Artist and colorer Campbell has showcased some top-notch character designs as well. From the races that inhabit The City Enduring to the Green Lantern costume of Mullein, everything feels unique. The colors here are also fantastic. Vibrant pallets make every illustration pop off the page. There is an extra level of coherence to comic art when you have one person doing everything and, while it’s understandable why this isn’t usually the case, its rarity makes it all the more special.

With Far Sector #1, I feel we are being given our first steps into something exciting. I’m looking forward to seeing something unique come from this. Not just from the setting but from the protagonist as well. The thought of a fairly inexperienced Lantern on their own promises something a bit different from a group that often feels very one-note. If the creative team can keep the quality up, this book could be a must-read going into the new year.

Far Sector #1 is available on November 13th.