Way way back in the distant past, when Star Wars mania first gripped the world and took root in my mind, my father stated that I couldn’t really enjoy the galaxy far, far away if I didn’t have an appreciation of those which had come before. So my education in 50’s & 60’s B rate sci-fi classics began.
My Life Among Humans carries shades of those movies of yesteryear, though the danger the little aline carries is both far more insidious, yet somehow innocent. A cultivated existence leads to a kind of “what happened to me, I will do to you” actions, whilst also discover that which it lost or perhaps something it didn’t even realise it needed!
Jed McGowan, who provides both. the writing and the art in a book that looks to examine elements of existence such as duty, family, love and belonging. A heady brew for sure, but in the creation of a cute alien gives the book a simpler world view, at least at first. As the alien starts to voyeuristically sample Will’s life, McGowan carefully paces the development of the story and the alien’s actions and decisions, ironically engendering the same sort of watchful approach from the reader as the alien itself. An clever metaphor for sure.
McGowan’s art has simple style to it, giving the book a pseudo comic strip feel, which evokes memories of those old sci-fi movies previously mentioned, with shades of Body Snatchers and doing odd things for good reason akin to This Island Earth. The art style gives the book an easy tio read feel, though it does mean that darker elements of the alien’s actions are a touch lost. The colors look great, well nuanced throughout the book.
An interesting read, cleverly mixing the readers expectations to deliver a book that feeds on some old school paranoia, with the need for belonging and family.
Writing – 5 Stars
Art – 4 Stars
Overall – 4.5 Stars
Written by; Jed McGowan
Art by; Jed McGowan
Published by; Oni Press Inc.