The comic centers on the Outcast's mission to put down a colonist uprising in the Risae system, which was enabled by the rest of the navy dealing with rebellions elsewhere. The details of the cause of the war are rarely touched upon, as they hardly matter to the young pilots who are trying to stay alive in the war. However, it is revealed that there may be more to the genetic plague that nearly eradicated humanity's males than the reader or pilots know, which is a plot twist that could be expounded on in Angels 2.0.
This naturally makes for a mostly serious comic with tragic moments. Characters out of high school often risk and give their lives while sacrificing their dreams, dealing with relationship issues and coping with the loss of their fathers and brothers. Despite this, there are occasional humorous scenes, which helps serve to ease the tension. While many of the space battles at this point in the story are training matches, they are well-drawn and well-written, and the tactics the pilots use help keep the audience guessing about what the outcome will be.
The characters are well-developed and have a variety of motivations and personalities, although some of the other squadrons' members could have been shown in more detail rather than hinted at in their character biographies. The Icebreakers' relationships with each other are compelling to see, as while they never quite become a typical example of a team that went from a ragtag bunch of misfits to an elite fighting force, they become better pilots and a better team over time. Unfortunately, some of the scenes, particularly those involving Hammer's conflicts between her (potentially romantic) feelings for Kid and her relationship with her as her squad leader, drop into Wangst at points.
There are some plotlines that could be expanded on, such as the implications of society suddenly being almost entirely female apart from making the Terran Navy a Pink Bishoujo Ghetto (one character implies that men will re-establish patriarchy after enough of them are born). The sporadic updating schedule, especially seen in the Risae arc, can make daily viewing difficult, especially when many of the comics involve a cliffhanger or surprise twist. However, this archive is worth binging on if you like space combat and stories about young people in war.
Dramatic, exciting and even funny at times
The comic centers on the Outcast's mission to put down a colonist uprising in the Risae system, which was enabled by the rest of the navy dealing with rebellions elsewhere. The details of the cause of the war are rarely touched upon, as they hardly matter to the young pilots who are trying to stay alive in the war. However, it is revealed that there may be more to the genetic plague that nearly eradicated humanity's males than the reader or pilots know, which is a plot twist that could be expounded on in Angels 2.0.
This naturally makes for a mostly serious comic with tragic moments. Characters out of high school often risk and give their lives while sacrificing their dreams, dealing with relationship issues and coping with the loss of their fathers and brothers. Despite this, there are occasional humorous scenes, which helps serve to ease the tension. While many of the space battles at this point in the story are training matches, they are well-drawn and well-written, and the tactics the pilots use help keep the audience guessing about what the outcome will be.
The characters are well-developed and have a variety of motivations and personalities, although some of the other squadrons' members could have been shown in more detail rather than hinted at in their character biographies. The Icebreakers' relationships with each other are compelling to see, as while they never quite become a typical example of a team that went from a ragtag bunch of misfits to an elite fighting force, they become better pilots and a better team over time. Unfortunately, some of the scenes, particularly those involving Hammer's conflicts between her (potentially romantic) feelings for Kid and her relationship with her as her squad leader, drop into Wangst at points.
There are some plotlines that could be expanded on, such as the implications of society suddenly being almost entirely female apart from making the Terran Navy a Pink Bishoujo Ghetto (one character implies that men will re-establish patriarchy after enough of them are born). The sporadic updating schedule, especially seen in the Risae arc, can make daily viewing difficult, especially when many of the comics involve a cliffhanger or surprise twist. However, this archive is worth binging on if you like space combat and stories about young people in war.