Trapped in an alien world, mech-suited animals Athos, Porthos, and Lovey continue to traverse the strange landscapes to find their owner, Doc. After Lovey gets incapacitated by a tiny alien, the other two pets are transported to another realm of the planet. With tensions between Athos and Porthos continuing, they must sort through their problems in a trippy psychic realm that leaves them both emotionally open. With emotionally solid writing, imaginative sci-fi world-building, and lovable characters,  Man’s Best #3 by Pornsak Pichetshote and Jesse Lonergan remains a unique and remarkable title. 

Athos and Porthos’s rocky and complicated relationship serves as the emotional crux of the issue. Athos wants to be the leader but lacks confidence, and Porthos never listens to his friend, creating this rocky rift they must overcome. Pichetshote never paints either character as entirely wrong but highlights the difficulty of working together as a team. Their differing viewpoints create engaging interpersonal drama that makes survival a goal not only for the planet but also for the survival of their relationship. Lastly, this conflict humanizes Athos and Porthos by giving them these relatable characteristics and emotions that further our investment in them and their relationship. 

Pichetshote and Lonergan’s decision to make the world even more alien and weird makes the sci-fi elements stand out even more. Going from a robotic world to a winter realm filled with sentient psychic ice, the readers wonder where the pets could end up next. It also helps to differentiate the challenges and obstacles the trio will face. Similarly, placing pets in this diverse world creates different problems and solutions than if a human were in this situation. It also helps drive the conflict naturally, such as when Athos and Porthos have an emotional argument where nothing is hidden due to their minds linked by the ice. Pichetshote and Lonergan continue to exceed our expectations of what type of realms the animals will experience by making them much more imaginative and different from the past ones.

Longergan’s art takes the readers to some of the most fascinating and offbeat sci-fi biomes and creatures in Man’s Best #3. Outside of the sentient ice locale, the way he depicts the psychic hivemind shared by the ice, Athos, and Porthos is mindbending and trippy, where it feels completely devoid of reality. Even with this out-there science fiction, his art and colors match Pichetshote’s strong emotional beats. With Jeff Powell’s lettering, Man’s Best #3 has excellent visuals and science fiction world-building, making it feel utterly alien from what we know on Earth.

As their literal and emotional odyssey gets more complex, Pichetshote and Lonergan force the three pets to overcome their grudges and issues if they want to find Doc and survive the dangerous world. Man’s Best #3 demonstrates the importance of being emotionally honest and open with each other to work correctly as a team. We might not have the luxury of psychic sentient ice to help air out our grievances and be open, but as humans, we still have complex and challenging relationships to overcome. True teamwork arises when we are all on the same page and understand each other.

Story: Pornsak Pichetshote Art/Colors: Jesse Lonergan Letterer: Jeff Powell
Story: 9.3 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9.3 Recommendation: Read

BOOM! Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

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