RISE UP! Can our space prisoners overthrow their alien captors in Psi-Lords #5?

The new story, “Conquest” starts here. But who will be conquered? Prison riots, secrets revealed, brand-new baddies, and more await the brave who read this.

I never really know where to start when talking about Psi-Lords. Do I start with the admission that it took me a couple of issues to fully get into the series? Do I start with how much I’ve been enjoying the series? All of it since I reread the earlier comics with new eyes. Do I start with how I can’t quite believe how good the art is in each and every issue?

Or do I start with a summary of the previous arc if you’re a new reader and want to jump on as the next chapter begins?

I think I’ll do that.

Four humans come to awareness on an asteroid/alien planet. They discover they have superpowers and escaped with the help of a mysterious stranger. They find themselves among some pacifist cat-like aliens and defended them against another alien, a Widower, by killing him. Somehow they gain the incredible team name of The Astro Friends. Now, they’re about to face the consequences of those actions.

The plot of Psi-Lords #5 feels a lot like a procedural crime drama with sci fi elements included more than a typical sci fi comic. It has moments of explosiveness, but for the most part feels like a much slower comic that allows Fred Van Lente‘s dialogue to enrich the characterizations of the four Astro Friends. The four human astronauts are essentially blank canvases, each one remembering different parts of their previous lives at some point, but never quite enough to discover who they are – only their initial mission; stop the asteroid colliding with Earth.

Where this comic truly shines, is with the visuals. Renato Guedes is simply stunning here. From the vast galactic visuals to the close up shots of the human faces as they react to the world around them. Frankly, even five issues in, I’m still stunned that we’re getting a comic that looks this good.

Psi-Lords #5 is an interesting read; a captivating story that serves as a bridge from one arc to the other surrounded by some utterly stunning visuals make for a must read comic for me. Which I find surprising because I usually steer away from comics set in space because they never quite grab me the same way as a comic set in the past or present day. And yet, this has found its way to becoming one of the most anticipated books on my pull list.

Go figure.

Story: Fred Van Lente Art: Renato Guedes Letters: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.9 Art: 9.9 Overall: 9.2 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

Are the Psi-Lords real? Or are they just a myth? Get a first glimpse at the world beyond our own in Psi-Lords #4!

After suffering a dramatic loss, the cosmic Quartet continues on with their mission to honor the memory of a fallen ally.

The ultimate enemy revealed!

It was the third issue that sold me on this series after having some misgivings early on. Now I wonder what the hell I was smoking when reading the first couple issues that made me not enjoy them as much as I did after rereading them earlier this week. The answer is nothing, by the way – nor was I drinking anything. With the issue, Fred Van Lente reminded me why I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. The man knows what he’s doing. It’s far better to trust him than to dismiss a series under his direction after only an issue or two.

But where this comic truly blew me away was in the art. The first panel is one of the most detailed images I’ve seen in a comic. Honestly, it set the bar incredibly high, and Renato Guedes never once stumbles.

The art style in the comic sits perfectly alongside the story. Guedes brings to life the fantastical science fiction elements of Van Lente’s story with exquisite detail. The style that pays homage to the sci-fi movie posters in the 50’s and 60’s. It’s something to behold.

Van Lente blends story exposition into the comic effortlessly with a pace that left me wondering if the comic was at once too short and not long enough. There’s a lot of story in this issue, but I didn’t get enough to satisfy my need to keep reading… I can only see that as a good sign at this point, given how unsure I was after the first issue. The time spent getting to know the characters last issue lends additional weight to the events of Psi-Lords #4. That means that Van Lente can bring a solid action sequence back to the story. Which further means that Guedes can really let loose.

Psi-Lords #4 was easily the best issue so far, finally establishing this series as a sci-fi epic.

Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Renato Guedes Letters: Dave Sharpe
Story: 9.2 Art: 9.9 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

The cosmic Quartet begins to master their jaw-dropping powers and unlock deeper meanings to their newfound abilities in Psi-Lords #3!

Dangerous aliens have targeted the Quartet, and they’ll stop at nothing until they’ve eliminated the team.

Plus, the lost history of the Psi-Lords revealed?!

Finally. After three issues, the series has finally clicked for me.

After some misgivings with how writer Fred Van Lente was pacing the story, I’m finally on the same wavelength. I’m close enough to appreciate what he’s been doing with the series right under my bloody nose since the first issue.

Van Lente has taken a breather from the breakneck pace he’s been using so far. In so doing he reveals a lot more about the setting that we find ourselves in, and the Psi-Lords themselves.

And as he does this, and as I was reading it, I realized that I needed to go back and reread the previous issues. It was then that I realized that my earlier assessment, and review scores, would be different (in a good way) had I read the first few issues in one go. But that, alas, is not how monthly series work. We can only judge a story one installment at a time – which isn’t ideal when the whole is often a step above its parts.

So yes, Van Lente and Psi-Lords have won me over (which doesn’t surprise me, but I’m still happy about it).

The exposition, and the time to truly get to know the four characters is well spent and set against some of the most wonderfully colourful imagery that truly gives the book an epic feel.

You’ll notice that I’ve focused primarily on the writing so far. That’s because Renato Guedes is so close to flawless (again) that I’m left almost at a loss for words. His grasp of visual storytelling, the use of colour and panel set up… it would be enough for me to recommend the book alone. But this issue, with the story clicking for me, I finally realize just how bloody brilliant this book actually looks.

These pages wouldn’t look out of place in the Louvre. My feelings about comic book art being in a museum aside, these pages could easily stand next to classical art and grab the world by the collar and demand attention.

Psi-Lords #3 was easily the best issue so far. Not only was it really good, but the clarity it provides on the previous issues cannot be understated. As I said last month, this is going be an absolute must-read story. Keep your eye on this one.

Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Renato Guedes Letters: Dave Sharpe
Story: 8.2 Art: 9.4 Overall: 8.8 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review

After an explosive escape from a cosmic prison, Psi-Lords #2 has the team of amnesiac astronauts needing to find a way home!

But where is the ship that brought them here in the first place? And just who are these Psi-Lords they keep hearing about?

It’s a deadly scavenger hunt around the Gyre in search of a way back home. But, this cosmic ring of decaying ships hides many threats within its aging walls!

You know those stories that don’t start at the beginning, but instead begin closer to the middle and fill in the blanks through dialogue, flashbacks and things like that? Welcome to Psi-Lords. A series that features four humans of varying nationalities who wake up in deep space with no memory and with some awesome new powers as they try to figure out who they are and how they can get home.

The characters’ lack of memory plays well into the story. Though there hasn’t been much revealed about how their story began, that doesn’t seem to matter. The reader begins to discover the same little nuggets about the character origins as the characters do. Plotwise it makes for a good way to trickle the origin in with the main flow of the story. It prevents interrupting the story with flashbacks that end up revealing too much too fast.

Psi-Lords #2 is a step up from the previous issue. Writer Fred Van Lente has a more concise story to tell that has a much smoother flow. Although this isn’t one of Van Lente’s better comics, it no longer has the missteps of the first issue when it comes to the pace and plot points. There’s still room for improvement but this issue is better in terms of how the story moves along. There’s also a wonderfully dry comment about the nature of the amnesia the characters are dealing with that made me laugh more than it probably should have.

Once again, Renato Guedes is utterly phenomenal on artistic duties. The otherworldly elements and oddly adorable yet kind of creepy alien species introduced in the book. For the second time this series, Guedes elevates this comic into one you have to spend time with to truly drink in all the details on the pages in your hand. His art has a wonderful feel that does more to place the comic away from Earth than you may initially give credit for as the colours and soft edges pull you into the far reaches of space.

Psi-Lords #2 is a step above the previous issue. If it keeps trending this way then it’s going be an absolute must-read within a couple of issues. Keep your eye on this one.

Story: Fred Van Lente
Art: Renato Guedes Letters: Dave Sharpe
Story: 6.8 Art: 9.0 Overall: 7.8 Recommendation: Read

Valiant provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review