Alienated

Energetic artwork and an extraterrestrial element elevate this fraught tale of teen angst from Spurrier (the Hellblazer series) and Wildgoose (the Batgirl series). While wandering through the woods one day, high schoolers Samuel, Samantha, and Samir accidentally hatch an alien egg. The infant creature that emerges imbues them with nigh-godlike powers. They promptly spiral into cruelty, anger, and sorrow: Samir forces his absentee father to face him in a pocket dimension, Samantha confronts the ex who abandoned her after she became pregnant, and Samuel uses the creature to become an antiestablishment vlogger no one can ignore. The alien is visualized as an inhuman entity, rendered in fluid strokes of turquoise and orange. Though it acts primarily as a catalyst, it’s arguably the heart of the story: the tension between its omnipotence and babyhood shapes the narrative’s high points. At its best, this comic confronts the raw pain of adolescence with a refreshing lack of condescension. Unfortunately, it also settles for a few too many coming-of-age clichés, such as when Samantha’s undone by a baby doll she’s assigned in a home ec lesson straight out of a dated after-school special. The result is a decently done specimen of young adult sci-fi, but one that doesn’t leave a lasting impression. (Nov.)