ADVANCED REVIEW: ‘Last Flight Out,’ Issue #1

Last Flight Out #1 is a comic book series co-created by Marc Guggenheim and Eduardo Ferigato. It is written by Guggenheim, illustrated by Ferigato, colored by Marcelo Costa, lettered by Diego Sanches, and edited by Kyle Higgins. It is published by Dark Horse Comics. In 2055, the Earth has been rendered uninhabitable, and humanity is preparing to travel to the stars via a series of spaceships. Unfortunately, the ship’s designer, Dr. Ben Caewood, soon learns that his daughter Sara has gone missing. With 24 hours until the final ark departs Earth, Caewood joins a team of military operatives to find Sara and intends to repair their strained relationship following the death of his wife in a car crash.

This series marks a return to creator-owned comics for Guggenheim following his work on the Tales of Arcadia franchise and the CW’s DC Universe shows. Guggenheim has also mentioned that the idea for the series was percolating in his head for years. It also features Ferigato’s return to illustrating an ongoing comic series after Self/Made, which he co-created with Higgins’ fellow writer and creative comrade, Mat Groom. Suffice it to say, both men are no stranger to genre fare and manage to use their experience from previous works to craft a compelling sci-fi narrative.

Like any sci-fi parable worth its salt, the main story serves as a metaphor—this time for climate change and its destructive effects on the Earth. Guggenheim’s script helps to ground the premise in human emotion, as the lack of a relationship between Caewood and Sara is established to be the driving force behind the comic. Caewood is shown to have buried himself in developing the arks after his wife’s death, leading to Sara being raised by tutors and nannies. And when he learns that she’s gone missing, Caewood’s first instinct is to drop everything and see if he can save his daughter and finally be there for her. I also give Guggenheim props for showing people reacting to the arks with denial and suspicion—reactions that have not only become commonplace with the climate change debate but the COVID-19 pandemic as well.

Ferigato’s art brings the scale necessary for a tale such as this, for moments big and small. The biggest moment features a double-page spread with the third ark hovering above the Earth. It’s a massive gunmetal gray ship that hovers over the ocean, dwarfing the platforms supporting it and the boats carrying supplies. In a pure stroke of genius, the ship is called the Tevat Noah after Noah’s ark, which housed two of every animal in the Bible. He also draws a sequence that shows the passing of time as Caewood comes to terms with his wife’s death and throws himself into his work—bags grow under his eye, and stubble covers his face.

Costa uses shades of blue throughout the issue, ranging from the deep blue of the oceans where the Tevat Noah is stationed to a stormy blue at Caewood’s wife’s funeral. As letterer/designer, Sanches inserts pages that feel like actual documents, including a real-time Twitter feed and an official government document.

Last Flight Out #1 is not just a well-crafted science fiction comic; it’s also a tale of a father’s devotion to his daughter at the end times. Dark Horse adds another great series to its list alongside creator-owned titles such as Hellboy and Black Hammer. Fans of Ad Astra and Arrival will definitely want to give this series a read.

Last Flight Out #1 is available wherever comics are sold September 7th.