All Against All is a new five-issue science-fiction miniseries from Image Comics. Written by Alex Paknadel with art by Caspar Wijngaard and letters by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, All Against All #1 has been described as, “What if Tarzan were the xenomorph from Alien?” The description is apt and sets high expectations for the series. It’s a heady survival horror comic with a visual flair that’s sure to leave readers in awe. All Against All #1 delivers an expansive and brutal start to a thrilling new series.
The series is set in the distant future. The Earth is long gone, but a race of alien conquerors known as “the Operators” have preserved its wildest animals in an artificial jungle environment they barely understand. The Operators have no bodies of their own. They move from world to world, harvesting bodies for the organic exosuits they use to wage endless wars. Helpless is the sole human inhabitant of the jungle environment who has been largely ignored by his captors.
Paknadel does a tremendous job building the world of All Against All without any one scene feeling like a massive exposition dump. Setting up a new science-fiction universe comes with a lot of baggage to unpack, and Paknadel sprinkles in the perfect amount of information throughout the issue. Concepts and characters are introduced organically. The pacing is wonderful, with a great mixture of dialogue-heavy and silent sequences. Interwoven within the narrative are strong themes of survival, the morality of species, and how these themes intersect.
Wijngaard’s art is outstanding from cover to cover. His punk-grunge vaporwave aesthetic is a visual treat. The action is brutal and paced perfectly, making exceptional use of both panel layouts and the gutters of the page. The design of the Operators themselves is visually distinct. Each Operator looks slightly different, making them all stand out as individuals and giving them some distinct personalities.
The coloring is out of this world. Bright, bold, and layered with creative intent. Blues, pinks, and greens pop off the pages with pure intensity. Everything is rendered with a layer of grit, blending perfectly with the tone of the book. Otsmane-Elhaou’s lettering is another exceptional part of this issue. Each of the Operators gets a distinct color for their dialogue, matching the dominant color in their design. It’s a subtle touch that further ties the book into a complete and polished presentation.
All Against All comes out swinging with a phenomenal first issue. Setting the groundwork for a brand new expansive science-fiction universe is no easy feat, and this book does it with grizzly determination. The premise is deceptively simple, leaving the team with a ton of room to make everything around that premise unique. This book sets high adventure and horror against a science-fiction backdrop without skipping a beat. With All Against All #1, Paknadel, Wijngaard, and Otsmane-Elhauo craft a brilliant first entry in a captivating new series.
