Review by Ian Keogh

Until now Space Boy cover portraits have featured characters already introduced and familiar to readers. They’ll need a good memory to recall Commander Saito from under half a dozen panels, last seen in Space Boy 4, although she was threatening, which alone differentiates her from almost every other member of the cast. There’s a reason for her presence here, but it’s a while in coming.

In the meantime Stephen McCranie’s initial focus is following events of Space Boy 6, and having Amy confronting Dr. Kim about his and Oliver’s move away from Kokomo, as seen on the sample art. She knows when she’s being lied to, and readers equally know there are reasons the truth has to be kept from her, most importantly that it could endanger her life.

For several volumes now McCranie’s been building toward Kokomo’s Homecoming Parade, which now happens, but Amy can’t enjoy it as much as she otherwise would because her mind is spinning with the same speculations about Oliver as readers have been experiencing. For the first time in Space Boy it’s the mysteries that take precedence, and after the time it’s taken to reach at least some revelations it’s a glorious release. There’s a positive rush of answers, but as ever when such things have previously been drip fed, they only prompt further questions, and there’s one wild left field introduction related to the bigger picture. A lot of what McCranie’s been planning from the start is now out there.

It’s a fair bet that for anyone who’s followed Space Boy from the start this will be the series peak so far. So much happens, and there’s considerable very clever plotting in the way things play out, especially with the way the focus is on certain members of the supporting cast and not others. You’ll want to head straight for Space Boy 8, or alternatively pick them both up in the nicely designed and bulkier third Space Boy Omnibus.