Heard any good UFO stories lately? Of course you have, thanks to the recent shooting down of various unidentified flying objects across North America. UFOs have become more mainstream then ever, thanks to those recent events, along with the fantastic Showtime mini-series that aired in 2021.
While there have been comics revolving around UFOs and aliens, none that I recall have been as rooted in reality at Blue Book, which arrives February 22nd.
Here’s the log line:
From the New York Times bestselling and award-winning cocreators of Something is Killing the Children, The Nice House on the Lake, The Department of Truth, and Powers comes this ambitious, nonfiction comic book experience depicting true stories of UFO abductions with an eye to capturing the strange essence of those encounters.
In this debut issue, Tynion presents what he calls his “True Weird” stories. Tales of ordinary people encountering the strange and the impossible. Teaming with artist Michael Avon Oeming, they retell some of the most popular UFO and alien encounter accounts starting with the infamous Betty and Barney Hill abduction–the widely publicized and very first abduction that went on to shape and influence all future encounter stories.
* Also includes the short “True Weird: Coney Island” by James Tynion IV, Klaus Janson, and Aditya Bidikar!
Blue Book #1 is accessible to any reader, regardless of their interest in UFOs; Tynion and Oeming have crafted a book that obsessives and newcomers are going to love. The events that happened to Betty and Barney Hill are part of UFO lore; while I’m far from an expert, I had heard of their story before Blue Book, but having it told in the comics medium gives their tale extra weight. Instead of simply hearing their story of encounter, we get to see their experience and it’s pretty creepy right from the beginning (for the record, I’ve read the entire series, and Blue Book only becomes more harrowing as the Hill’s story continues.)
The combination of James Tynion IV’s thoughtful and factual use of words and Michael Avon Oeming gorgeous art and colours (exclusively blues and blacks) makes Blue Book #1 stand out as a first issue that will definitely pull readers in, whether they’re skeptics or true believers.
Blue Book #1 arrives in stores from Dark Horse Comics Wednesday, February 22nd.
