Universe! by Albert Monteys. Image, 2021. 9781534318076. 196pp of story plus an afterward that includes sketches and other information on Monteys’ process, including one-panel gags. Contains Universe #1 – 5 originally published online at panelsyndicate.com where you can still name your price for this book and the rest of the issues of the series.
The book opens with astronaut / chrononaut Thomas Marriot, an employee of Wortham Industries, and his digital assistant, Eye-3, in the whatever that preceded the Big Bang. With them is a strange device the purpose of which, if I explained it, would spoil the plot. But let’s say Wortham Industries decided the mission was a go even though this time jump consumed 23% of Earth’s resources. Does it have anything to do with the company’s undead CEO?
Issue 2 involves a world in which people fall in love with their perfect robot companions, and of course they may be dangerous. #3 is about manned probes sent out to find intelligent life and report back to Earth. (The probe design is hilarious, as is the way the astronauts hibernate.) Issue 4 is too difficult to explain. #5 is another entertaining, unexpected story about time travel that unifies the book’s parts.
My favorite part: the ants! Their story is wondrous and sad.
Monteys adapted Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five into a graphic novel with Ryan North, and that book proved he’s brilliant. This one proves he’s both full of ideas of his own and hilarious.
