Independence Day #1
Written by Victor Gischler
Art by Steve Scott
Covers by Dio Neves, Lee Garbett, John McCrea
Titan Comics
Release Date: March 23, 2016
Cover Price: $3.99

In 1996, an alien armada attempted to destroy humanity in order to gain access to the precious natural resources that it needed to survive. Fortunately for mankind, a scientist and his eccentric father stumbled upon a way to temporarily bring down the defenses of this significantly more advanced race. Falling back on Morse code as a means to communicate with other military units across the globe, a plan was hatched to destroy the aliens’ shields and go on the offensive. Through determination and sheer luck, they won the day.

This series picks up right at the end of Independence Day and will be bridging the gap between that film and the upcoming sequel Independence Day: Resurgence, due out this June! So, without further ado, I present to you Independence Day #1 from Titan Comics!

Take everything you know about that first film and roll with it. This story doesn’t change any of the events, rather it adds to them. For you see, during one of the attacks, one of the ships fell into the Atlantic Ocean. Uncertain as to whether it was fully destroyed or if it might still harbor enemies, the U.S. military coordinates with one of its submarines in the area and sends one of the most knowledgeable officers, Captain Joshua Adams, along with Dr. Jessica Morgan to lead an investigation into the fate of this lost spaceship.

Our story begins with a submarine captain who is far less than pleased at having to not only accommodate two non-Naval individuals but also to follow the orders of her superiors and allow them to lead her and her men into the jaws of death by searching for this elusive lost spacecraft. As fate would have it, however, they don’t have to wait long for something to happen. As Captain Adams fights back his overwhelming fear of being in the water, the entire submarine is faced with danger and a decision that no one should take lightly. The last panel of the comic makes me wonder if this entire operation was a good idea at all!

Veteran comic writer Victor Gischler does an excellent job portraying the fears and concerns of his characters. Their anxiety is almost palpable as the reader follows along in the story. Steve Scott‘s art is simple at times, with colors that emulate the lighting aboard a sub. Out in the vastness of the ocean or in the sky above, his vivid renderings show a decidedly broader display of color and depth. All in all, the two complement one another in a way that allows the reader to empathize with the cast at the most basic of levels but still retain a sense of awe at some of the more exciting parts. The combination is essentially what the team was seeking–a movie in comic form.

I am a huge fan of that first film. It hardly seems like it came out twenty years ago but sure enough, time does fly when you’re having fun. The next movie will, I hope, be just as amazing in every way. But until that release, we have this comic series to tide us over. I went into it with much trepidation, it has after all been two decades since the original movie. By the time I was on page ten, I was in for the long haul. The plot in general, and the dialogue in particular, really drew me in. I cannot wait until the next issue. I hope you’ll grab this one so you can get on board early. This will be one wild ride, I bet.