Beneath all of the funny, creative, and interesting characters and environments, which is more than enough in most comics, Tyson Hesse’s Diesel #1 creates a deeply rich world with enough intrigue and mystery to be the beginning of an incredible series.

The story opens with Dee Diesel, a young woman who is only a day away from turning eighteen years old and inheriting her father’s flying mobile community called Peacetowne. This inheritance causes her to try and use power that no one believes she has, in an attempt to legitimize herself as the future captain she hopes to be. But, she receives no respect from anyone on board the ship and this is the center of every interaction in the story; and these interactions are legitimately hilarious. The interplay between Dee, and the current captain, Cap Wells, whose job Dee desires, is particularly funny in how oblivious Dee seems to be about how easily the captain pushes off her demands and cries for power. Watching Dee casually send Cap Wells into a rage is an absolute delight. Although, the heart of the story really stems from Dee trying to find her worth under the the shadow of the legacy that her father and family members left behind. It is a powerful underlying theme but, nothing that takes away from the more aloof and comical situations that seem to fill the majority of the early pages. The ending also adds a strong bit off drama and mystery surrounding where her father is and how safe Peacetowne truly is, as Diesel’s world grows from one mobile community to a much larger world full of potential for exploration.

The artwork does a phenomenal job making all of the comedy and action truly work. The facial expressions are astounding in how well they can convey the perfect mannerism or emotion. In many panels, the funniest part is not the dialogue but, the silent reactions that one character has with another. The action scenes, while less prevalent, are by no means less well done. There is a sense of intensity and tension within every action panel and even the more intimate moments have a purpose and energy, driving the narrative forward.

Overall, this is a great first issue that builds interesting characters with a great sense of mystery and tension surrounding the life of Dee Diesel. The main problem with the series, is that it is only going to be four issues long.

Story: Tyson Hesse Art: Tyson Hesse
Story: 9.5 Art: 9.5 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy

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