As a general rule few dare to defy, inserting cats and dogs into just about anything science fiction-related provides instant uplift to its popularity as most everyone on Earth (and anyone potentially existing on nearby planets) loves their furry friends.
To further reinforce that universal truth, a new comic book project from Boom! Studios titled “Man’s Best” embarks on a thrilling sci-fi adventure revolving around a trio of cybernetically-enhanced domestic pets marooned on an alien world following their colony spaceship’s crash landing.
Written by the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Thai-American creator Pornsak Pichetshote (“The Good Asian”) and paired with playful interior artwork by Jesse Lonergan (“Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea”), this tail-waving miniseries arrives beginning on Mar. 20, 2024 with multiple variant covers available by Lonergan, Trish Forstner and Franny.
Related: Cats in space! New ‘Captain Ginger’ comic unveils homage to classic ‘Star Wars’ poster (exclusive)
Here’s the official synopsis:
“‘Homeward Bound’ on an alien world, ‘Man’s Best’ follows three emotional support pets living on the Starship Horizon — a spacecraft searching for a new home to house a humanity compromised by bad decisions and corporate greed.
“But after the ship crashes and the crew is captured, these loyal pets are their owner’s only hope. Outfitted in outrageous tech, these three best friends must traverse a hostile world to rescue their owners — leaving them the only hope for a humanity that might not be worth saving, in a harrowing adventure that threatens to tear apart their most valuable treasure: their friendship.”
Check out our exclusive 4-page peek at the premiere issue in the gallery below.
“It’s really weird to say a book about a cat in a mech suit, a golden retriever with a bionic leg, and a French bulldog with a rocket strapped to his back might be my most personal book ever, but … that’s kinda what happened?,” says Pichetshote. “I’ve never written anything where I can see recent realizations in my life directly incorporated onto the page as much as this book and have no idea how readers will respond. What I’m a lot more confident in is how much of an honor it is to work with Jesse Lonergan. It’s amazing how as a ‘professional writer’ I still have no words to explain how innovative his art keeps getting with each issue.”
Boom! Studios series editor Eric Harburn was “blown away” by what this imaginative team accomplished and stated that Pornsak and Jesse are a dream creative team and a dream to collaborate with. He fortified his position by explaining that “Man’s Best” is like nothing readers have ever seen from either of these creators.
“I feel like I’ve gotten plenty of opportunities to do weird sci-fi stuff, but I haven’t gotten the chance to draw as many cute things as I would like,” added Lonergan. “So getting the opportunity to work on a book with pets battling across alien landscapes is really a dream come true, and then to have someone like Pornsak bringing a story with real depth and heart makes it that much better. This project has been intense, with the story consistently escalating. I find myself constantly challenged to raise the bar. The lazy part of me keeps telling the rest of me that there should be a section where I ease off and do some ‘easy’ pages, but it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Man’s Best #1” bounds into comic shops and onto digital on Mar. 20, 2024.
