Comic Review: Tomorrow #1

Tomorrow #1

Dark Horse Comics

Writer: Peter Milligan

Artists: Jesús Hervás & James Devlin

Tomorrow has been on my radar for a little bit now. The strong creative team and the interesting premise was enough to pull me in months ago. Tomorrow #1 does a fine job at setting the stage for what was solicited when the series was announced and doesn’t rush into the premise. Instead, writer Peter Milligan effectively builds up the horror, making this a strong debut.

In Tomorrow #1, readers are introduced to young twins Oscar and Cira. Oscar has a big musical opportunity coming up and travels abroad with his mother to chase his dreams. Readers are also introduced to another family, allowing the reader to get to know plenty of characters in just a few pages. While the other family will undoubtedly be important, this issue puts the spotlight on Oscar, who must cope with his anxiety and the events that are about to take place. Before too long a virus hits the population, seemingly only targeting adults at a staggering pace. Before too long, most of the characters the readers are introduced to are alone.

Milligan’s emphasis on the characters is surely going to pay off. Despite seeming to be a musical prodigy, Oscar is an instantly relatable character, dealing with very human anxieties and fears. He’s well-written, dynamic, and cares for his family. When everything goes wrong, he needs to find a way to cope and act rationally. Milligan’s characters are believable due to strong dialogue and rational actions. Over the course of this miniseries, readers will surely build a bond with the characters and it all starts here.

The pacing throughout the issue is fantastic. While the virus is exposed and a little bit is learned about it, Milligan doesn’t rush into any big reveals. There is just enough revealed to keep readers thinking about the series until the next issue. The action is only in the form of the virus’ effects but is enough to keep readers engaged. One of the most vital aspects of a successful disaster story is establishing human characters and motives. All of that is here, and I am excited to see where this miniseries goes.

Artist Jesús Hervás and James Devlin help to bring the script to life. While a few of the facial expressions and poses feel off at times, this is a great looking comic book. The book flows incredibly well thanks to the great panel structure. The backgrounds are gorgeous and are only made better by the bold colors. The disaster’s brutality looks great in the pages without being too overbearing with gore.

The creative team comes together to make Tomorrow #1 the complete package. It’s perfectly paced and allows readers to connect to the characters. Fans of disaster stories will want to check this one out.