Astronaut Down #1 Summary

If there is an element that can define AfterShock Comics in the last couple of years is the fact that they have been extremely consistent with their output and they have always found ways to deliver high quality comics regardless of the context of the market or what the popular trend is at the time. And when it comes to that particular regard, Astronaut Down, with its debut issue, is another example of that approach: a very good read that maintains a lot of the company’s core values while adhering to a very interesting premise.

What is the plot of this comic? We’ll tell you everything you need to know here:

In the reality of Astronaut Down, humanity has been vastly reduced to a sort of quantum virus that has killed millions and millions of people all over the world, with the logical consequences that a situation of this ilk can have in governments, society and the whole system we have been living with all our lives. In fact, all of human civilization is distributed in 14 megacities and the rest of the cities are all vanished and destroyed.

These cities have managed to create barriers to keep this cancer at bay and don’t infect them, but time is running out, which is why they have selected a group of astronauts for a very dangerous mission meant to save humankind. There are pages that highlight their preparation and training for the horrors that they are going to face and the consequences if the mission fails.

Douglas Splitzer is the comic’s main character and he is one of the people who are applying to the astronaut position where the lucky ones are the people that don’t get the job. There is a lot of emphasis that they are very likely to not get out alive from this mission and only three of them would be chosen after they go through the necessary tests.

We also get glimpses of Douglas’ backstory and we understand that he has lost a loved one due to this situation and wants to pay his tributes to that loved one by contributing to the salvation of the human race and apply to the position, highlighting his altruistic and selfless nature as the story’s main character.

Overall, a very heartfelt and interesting premise that has a lot of high stakes and shows a lot of interesting sides of the human spirit.