Comic Book Review: Last Pick by Jason Walz
Three years ago, aliens invaded. They easily crushed Earth’s militaries, and rounded up all the humans between 16 and 65 who were not deemed “unfit” for their purposes. Why beings with such advanced technology needed physical slave labor was not a topic the invaders chose to discuss. The remaining children, senior citizens and disabled people were left to pick up the pieces as best they could, even as the aliens left behind many of their number.
Sam and Wyatt were thirteen year old twins when the aliens came. Their parents gone, the two are trying to scrape by and provide just a bit of resistance to the occupiers. There’s still power, mostly, and running water, but the aliens have the humans on strict rations and Sam sometimes liberates food for random neighbors. Wyatt’s more tech-savvy than her, but he is on the autism spectrum, and sometimes the world is too much for him to handle. They’re a team, about the best Earth still has to offer.
Dodging the local alien leader who’s dubbed himself “Sheriff” was tough enough, but now his masters are returning to collect all the teenagers who have hit “useful” status since their last visit.
This young adult graphic novel is the first in a planned series, with the next volume due out in late 2019.
The aliens operate on a warped “survival of the fittest” principle; both for the humans and for themselves. Those remaining on Earth seem to be the dregs of their society, and rather loosely organized. Whenever not obeying the Sheriff’s orders, they apparently just amuse themselves however they please. And those above them are quick to discard aliens who are ill or injured or otherwise “useless.”
Much of the volume is taken up with Sam and Wyatt attempting to get pieces of the alien technology to learn more about it, dealing with quislings who think loyalty is somehow going to save them from the slave ships, and stumbling across possible allies. This culminates in a showdown at Fort Knox, but that is neither the end of the alien occupation nor the resistance.
The art is serviceable, with distinct characters and varied alien and machine designs. There’s good use of color.
While Sam is fairly typical for young adult female leads in an action story, Wyatt is different enough to make things interesting, and looks to be continuing as a main character through the series.
Content note: bullying, prejudice against people with disabilities.
Recommended for science fiction fans junior high age and up.
