PORTLAND, Ore. - In the new limited series “Gigantic,” written by Portlander Rick Remender, Earth exists not as a result of the Big Bang or by the hand of an omnipotent deity but as a production by galactic broadcasters.

Humans, the actors in the grand drama, are designed with enough intelligence to create weapons and with enough superstition to believe in God. That, the extraterrestrial producer of Channel Earth describes, is the recipe for constant war amongst members of an “ugly race.” Just like here on Earth, that means huge ratings.

The story begins 5,000 years ago, as the first humans are grown in tanks of liquid while Earth is being constructed. This third rock from the sun is built with every sort of climate; the producer explains that the “latest polls show that location changes are paramount in keeping our audience captivated.”

Aside from being the creators of entire worlds, the aliens that watch Channel Earth have more advanced viewing tastes than their human counterparts. (Just look at the über-reality show “Survivor,” which continues to be set in tropical locales solely because they lend themselves to swimwear.)
 
After a quick fast-forward to present day San Francisco, an enormous armored alien teleports into downtown after escaping from the UBC, the organization responsible for creating Channel Earth. The alien expected to arrive in an unpopulated area and is horrified to discover people milling about.

It attempts to flee but in the process wreaks havoc and accidentally kills pedestrians. Within moments, bounty hunters from the UBC arrive, and a battle erupts. The armored alien is injured during the fight, and its armor is damaged, causing a chain reaction not unlike an atomic blast over downtown San Francisco.

This explosion piques the curiosity of galactic viewers, one of which proclaims that the battle and explosion is the “best episode ever” on Channel Earth. The issue ends with the requisite “To Be Continued…”

"Gigantic" publisher Dark Horse Comics describes the story as one that examines “America’s consumer-based culture.” But the criticism of American voyeurism in “Gigantic” is too on the nose, as if Remender isn’t confident that his readers will figure out the satire that is inherent to the narrative.
 
Otherwise, illustrator Eric Nguyen and colorist Matthew Wilson have done a great job of creating the alien world of “Gigantic.” The three-dimensional, holographic world of galactic television production is wonderfully rendered, with Wilson’s use of color bringing every frame to vibrant life. The Arthur Suydam-inspired cover demonstrates this to the greatest extent, as the beautifully rendered fire-and-smoke-strewn San Francisco screams “Read me!”
 
As a limited series, “Gigantic” is just picking up steam, and the introduction of several storylines gives the series several potential directions. While the concept that life is just one big production without a dress rehearsal is nothing new, “Gigantic” is a fun bit of science-fiction escapism featuring great art and is certainly worth a try for comic readers looking for their fix of giant robot, city-smashing fun.  

Gigantic #1
32 pages
Dark Horse Comics
$2.99

- Eric Holmes is a freelance writer who lives in southeast Portland. He is currently finishing the Master's program in Writing at Portland State University and can be reached at holmesea@hotmail.com.