Hyperdriven

By IZZI

Almost a year ago I read Hyperdriven for the first time in a single sitting.  Around 750 pages of comic action.  This occurred for primarily two reasons:

  • I have hyperfixation
  • It’s just that good.

While I cannot recommend you read it all in one sitting (you do you), I can highly recommend that you do, in fact, read it.

The Story

Kaleco has wanted to be a swashbucking ship captain all her life, and now she’s got a ship, a crew, but a major problem.  No money, and a low-level freelancer license that doesn’t allow her crew to take on any well paying jobs.

We follow the misadventures of the Bon Petit Déjeuner as they try to make ends meet and not fall apart in the meantime.  If you are a fan of space western media like Firefly, Cowboy Bebop, or fellow webcomics Ghost Junk Sickness or Thunderstryke, there will be a lot here to love.

But also mixed in with the silly hijinks the comic also touches on and deals with some really heavy stuff: trauma, mental health, bigotry, to just name a few. The balancing act between comedy and drama is such a difficult one, and I am in awe at how seamlessly Hyperdriven is able to do it.  It will have you laughing one page, and then crying just a few short pages later.

One of the major challenges with balancing an ensemble cast is making everyone feel like a distinct person, and giving everyone time to shine and room to breathe.  Hyperdriven does this very well, giving each of its little cast of weirdos so much heart, character, and trauma.  While I love them all, our protagonist Kaleco is by far my personal favorite character.  She is an idealistic disaster, and earnest to a fault.  I loved watching her fuck up, then work hard to try and improve and do better.  Character is king, and all the characters have had wonderful journeys through the story, but I wanted to especially highlight Kaleco.

The Art

I love the art style, it’s colorful, it’s clear, and it’s stylish as hell.  All the characters are so distinctive and unique, and the whole comic is infused with this colorful, distinct vibe that definitely contributes to the fun, comedic atmosphere.  There is a level of clarity in the simplicity of the color, even down the way that people will be color coded by group.

And also, does this comic have some style.

TL;DR — Go read Hyperdriven.  Just... maybe don’t do it in a single four and half hour marathon.

Note: review redrafted from a previous entry on crowdsourced-webcomic-reviews.tumblr.com