Soma

In this boisterous alien invasion tale from Llor (Last Day) and Dalmau, a burned-out cartoonist gets unexpected inspiration when a strange creature crashes into her living room. Maya is struggling to meet her deadlines on a sci-fi comic (while also texting her anxious best friend Juu through an awkward first date), when a one-eyed alien that looks like a brain with tentacles careens through her window. His helmet cracked and his ship in disrepair, Soma explains, via mind meld achieved by placing a tentacle on Maya’s temple, that he needs help. Turns out, he’s trying to prevent a full-scale invasion of Earth by his species. Within seconds, Maya and Juu’s town is under attack, turning Juu’s date into a battle for survival and putting Maya’s comics on hold while she and Soma work together to save humanity. Dalmau’s fizzy manga-influenced art pops, with savvy worldbuilding that makes environments and props feel like characters themselves (e.g., the overflowing ashtray on Maya’s desk, whose lingering smoke looks like a jagged word balloon). However, the actual characters, particularly Juu, feel underdeveloped, and the shift in genre from slice-of-life to sci-fi action is abrupt. Still, fans of Scott Pilgrim will dig the mash-up of mundane anxiety and apocalyptic mayhem. (Feb.)