Station to Station
Script by Corinna Bechko & Gabriel Hardman
Art & Lettering by Gabriel Hardman
Review by Joey Braccino
In a spectacular blend of Twilight Zone meets War of the Worlds, Station to Station delivers old-school extraterrestrial science fiction in a tight, one-shot narrative.
Originally presented over the course of three issues of Dark Horse Presents, Station to Station tells the story of Tim, a scientist on Treasure Island. Located in the San Francisco Bay, Treasure Island hosts experiments in transdimensional technologies. I think; the specifics aren’t really that important, because, in true Twilight Zone fashion, we’re dealing with mind-bending sci-fi with a focus on the affects on the characters themselves. At the start of the issue, news broadcasts reveal a terrible accident on Treasure Island. Tim awakens after the accident to the ghastly sight of a gigantic floating tentacled beast from another dimension. As is often the case with these psycho-dramas, Tim is the only one who can see the beast, and he works through the issue to try to prevent more from coming to this planet.
Wife and husband duo Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman (Star Wars: Legacy, Planet of the Apes) script the story with the latter picking up art duties as well. While contained to a one-shot, the script has a quick pace and an incredibly satisfying climax. Characters, though light on background and exposition, all serve a purpose to the overall narrative and help raise the stakes of Tim’s mission. And, most importantly, Gabriel Hardman’s artwork is absolutely stunning. Akin to Michael Lark’s pulpy and gritty linework (Lazarus, Daredevil, Gotham Central), Hardman’s fine lines and naturalistic color palette help to validate that Twilight Zone comparison. The reveal of the tentacled beast is brilliantly laid out, and the equally shocking cliffhanger spread is awe-inspiring.
Oh, and there are dinosaurs for a bit.
Verdict
Buy. Station to Station is a lesson in one-and-done sci-fi storytelling. Bechko and Hardman’s work reads like a classic episode of The Twilight Zone: mysterious, character-driven, and filled with shock-and-awe psychodrama. Definitely worth a look!
