Salvagers #1 Review

Salvagers Looking To Clean Up Indy Comics

Like many people I spent my preteen and teenage years hanging around comic stores trying to get a glimpse at the newest comics and newest releases, but the more I grew as a person and as a comic book fan I started to realize that there were people all over that had creative drive, and some of them didn’t work for the big two. Some of these people needed help and there was nowhere to get it. Enter Kickstarter.



While scouring Kickstarter I ran across Robert Salley and his book Salvagers. Ever since laying eyes on the Salvagers Kickstarter I have wanted to give money and help see this project through but being the typical broke jerk I had to settle for stalking the progress. His Kickstarter had a nice description about how his idea came to fruition that really tugged at my heart strings. Mr. Salley talked about friendly conversation at a bar where he and his friends wondered about things like clean up after people destroyed huge things like Death Stars. The conversation, or at least description of the conversation, really hit home because like any good fan boy I instantly hit rewind in my brain back to the nearly same conversations I had with my friends and to the scene in Kevin Smith’s Clerks where Randle and Dante talk about the contractors that died while the second Death Star was destroyed. Like I said, it hit home, I understood his vision and I really enjoyed the idea.

The idea is that Salley’s universe is connected by the trades of goods and services. Of course in any economy driven universe there are bound to be winners and losers, strong companies and weak companies, and Salley is sure to express that there is no shortage in for hire businesses that include the Salvagers. Salley describes Salvagers: “Even under the security of peacetime, there is no shortage of violence in outer space; from looting raiders, Navy destroyers neutralizing a rebel movement to the simplest space station falling victim to a rogue asteroid.” All of the scenarios described would need Salvagers crews to clean up and really help to get the idea of his world started.

Salley locked down a great artist, George Acevedo, to bring his ideas to life, and Delfine Siobhan-Kanashii to color George’s designs. I’m admittedly no artist. I can hardly draw stick figures, but the first thing that I saw when I received the book in the mail was the cover where all four main crew members are standing in a BA pose together. The drawings are all well done, crisp and clean, with great expressions from the characters. Acevedo and Siobhan-Kanashii mesh well with their styles and do not fail to deliver with the artwork.

The story starts off with the crew in the Balaca Star System deep in the outer rim trying to salvage a Darzinean warship wreck. The captain of the ship, Bill Roenick is talking to his tech guy, or in this case tech girl, Teagan, as he tries to establish the oxygen levels and find some way to get the lights on. After turning on some light Bill stumbles on a room full of dead crew members, setting the tone for the rest of the first issue.

Teagan loses connection with Bill and talks with her computer system that she calls A.V.R.I (Artificial Vehicular Resource Intelligence) trying to diagnose the problem with connection. During her diagnosis she attempts to contact the remaining two crew members, Ty’r and Brigby. The muscles of the group Ty’r talks to Teagan as Brigby fools around in a space suite. Salley wastes no time getting into some action as Ty’r and Brigby get attacked by an armed androids. Teagan attempts to reestablish contact with Bill while Brigby proves that he is going to be the comic relief, betting that the big guy stomps the robot into a can. My first impressions of Ty’r and Brigby is something like Agent J and K from Men in Black. Ty’r being more serious and Brigby being more quick-witted and mouthy. I can see there dynamic becoming really fun in later issues.

As the story continues Bill comes into contact with an android that is similar to the one that attacked Ty’r and Brigby. Being the confident and leading man who every captain should be, Bill attempts to introduce himself and keep the meeting peaceful, but the android had other plans. Bill ends up taking out the robot and discovering that the robot is a Blackbane Private Security Contractor android.  He also notes that he isn’t surprised to see them but was surprised he hasn’t seen a Darzinean.

All three of the guys on the wreck continue to fight androids.  One is nearly successful at killing Bill, but a different android ends up saving him. The android introduces itself as G-9 Vessel Droid of the Darzinean Warspray. As Bill talks with the android, he discovers that the android was responsible for the safety of the crew. He also learns the android is responsible for downing his communications. The android downed Bill’s communication because the other robots are programmed to protect him from organic life forms and stresses that they have to hurry to save Ty’r and Brigby.

The book comes to an end as Ty’r and Brigby emerge victorious over the robots only to look up and discover five more waiting for them. Will Bill and the G-9 Droid get to them in time? Will they regain communications with the ship and Teagan? All questions I hope to have answered as I pick up book two of three of the Abandoned Cargo arc.

I feel like Salvagers delivers a solid punch for their first venture. I really enjoy the artwork from Acevedo and Siobhan-Kanashii, especially the fighting sequences. Salley starts off the story with a great splash page that helps to set up the Salvagers' purpose as the story begins. Salley does a killer job at introducing every character and conveying their personalities. I can’t wait for them grow and develop throughout this series. I already have Salvagers #2 and I feel confident they will continue to make it better and better.

I rarely have bad things to say, because you know, if you have nothing good to say then don’t say it at all, but I have to mention one thing that was fairly unpleasant. It has nothing to do with Salvagers at all but more with Hound Comics. I attempted to buy the first two books through their website Houndcomics.com and found that their store was down. I tried for about three days and finally emailed them. Even though it was inconvenient and it took me about a week longer than I wanted I got the books from Amazon. As much as I criticize Hound for this I have to say that they were professional as could be and responded to my email promptly, and they hustled to get their books on Amazon, so I give them full credit for professionalism and fixing their issues as fast as they could. I hope to see their online store up and running because truthfully they have some really BA titles that I would totally love to check them out without paying Amazon for the privilege.

Even with the minor setback I still had a great experience with Salvagers and even Hound Comics. I will certainly checkout more Hound Comic titles and most definitely continue with Salvagers. I urge anyone that is a fan of sci-fi to check out Salvagers. It won’t disappoint!