A Comic A Day in May – Day 1: Lou Scannon #8

In just a few weeks time Lou Scannon #8 will hit print from Attic Studios and while there may have been quite a bit of time between this and #7……the consistency has always made this title worth the wait.

If you’ve been following Lou Scannon like I have then you’ll know the sci-fi comedy title started out as a Red-Dwarf-like parody and while it retained this all the way through it’s crammed a ton of other sci-fi nods into the Scannon Universe (Scannon-Verse???).  The central plot arc is still there with Lou desperately trying to find out more about his past but each issue has a unique feel to it as Dan Harris, Kris Carter & Jim Bampfield give it its own particular theme or movie that it’s parodying and that’s no different for this eighth issue – I’m not saying what that is or the other nods……you can read it and discover them for yourself.

The quest for knowledge continues in Lou’s main plot and we’re edging closer to actually finding out what more there is to say about his past but the daily grind of a space life sees the Raging Hormone needing a new engine.  That falls to Crysta & Earl who head off onto the latest planet they’ve selected at random to visit (although Lou makes sure it’s not so random) and the pace is set for some typically comedic space shenanigans.  The growing cast and the step up from episodic comedy title to sci-fi epic in the last issue has really taken hold and this issue feels like a much more involved issue in the series.

Creators Dan, Kris & Jim are running like a well oiled machine on the story as the narrative & dialogue are as tight as ever but the art from Dan & shading from Kris & Jim have hit an all new level in this issue.  It feels like a sci-fi world with a grander scale than we can see on the pages and while that was hinted at in the previous this latest issue is where it’s made real strides in its progress.  Letterer HdE has to get a nod to with a lot to tackle in this issue with a bulkier story but it’s tackled with real style and adds another slick element to a brilliant issue.

I re-read the whole series when I got my hands on #8 and working through all the issues you can see improvements in each one.  Almost humble beginnings are behind them now and as Attic Studios adds more titles to its roster it’s the Lou Scannon team title that really proves what the indie trio of Dan, Kris & Jim can produce.  Long wait aside, I think this has become a title that is always on my recommendation list and issue #8 only solidifies that notion.  Funny, poignant & as ambitious as ever but it’s got the rare ability to meet & surpass expectations issues after issue.

You can pre-order/order a copy of issue #8 as well as the previous issues and their other titles over on the Attic Studios website and keep up to date with what’s happening next on Twitter too.

9/10

G-Man