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Stop me if you’ve heard this one, two dogs and a cat train for combat and survival while on an interstellar trip across the stars. Man’s Best presents just such a premise. Athos, Porthos, and Lovey have to master their tech and learn to work as a team if they have any hope of aiding their caretakers survive in the unknown of space!
- Written by Pornsak Pichetshote
- Illustrations and Colors by Jesse Lonergan
- Letters by Jeff Powell
Man’s Best Friends and Soldiers
As opposed to BOOM Studios’ Animal Pound, Man’s Best is tons of fun and full of heart. The fact that these tiny animals, that are small even by human standards, are in a ship flying through space on a fantastic journey is enough to get me interested. Each of the pets have been enhanced with cybernetics in some way. The book actually opens with Athos, the white cat, having adjustments being done on his brain. We know this animals are enhanced physically and mentally and yet they are still the best of what cats and dogs offer the human race.
Other than introducing characters and setting up he story, there are a ton of dynamics between these characters being explored. The characters truly drive this story. Athos, Porthos, and Lovey give off a 3 Stooges kind of feel as they argue with each other and have trouble working in unison. Porthos is definitely the bestest girl, as she’s fiercely loyal and brave, but also has that aloof Golden Retriever personality. Lovey the french bulldog, the oldest of the three, is more interested in doing his own thing, and ends up causing more trouble than good.
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A Human Story Behind The Pets
What’s great about this story, is that there is this funny and light hearted dynamic amongst the animals, but there are some serious tones in the background as it pertains to the humans. The Doctor to which the animals belong is working hard to train her pets, which are more like her family, all while the Captain of the ship is annoyed at their incompetence. Not only that, the crew of the ship doesn’t take them seriously. It’s a very engaging dynamic that draws me in.
The Art of Man’s Best
The art of the book mirrors the story. The animals are in these bright, colorful, cute situations and environments. The humans contrast that with a cold, dark setting. It’s almost like the animals brighten up any scene they’re in, even in the human scenes. They almost glow amongst the bark blues and blacks of the spaceship setting.
I love how soft the lines and colors are in this book. The humans seem sad and fragile. The animals feel so warm and cuddly. Even when things get dark and trouble arrises, the animals feel like a safe space in the alien environment.
Everything Points To 8/10
To put into simplest terms, this is the science fiction version of Homeward Bound. Athos, Porthos, and Lovely provide a lot of heart and comedy that lightens up the dark and sort of depressing tale of the humans traveling the stars. Jesse Lonergan’s artistic creations are fresh and interesting, somehow increasing what makes these animals so relatable. The action scenes raise the stakes and goes from enjoying comedic tropes to feeling pride in these three as the battle the unknown to find their guardians. I highly recommend this for anyone interesting a light hearted, fun story that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
