The impending exits of Northlanders and Scalped will leave big holes in Vertigo’s publishing line. Saucer Country seems to be a fairly worthy (albeit much less bloody) successor to those titles. It needs a little time to flesh out its heady mix of alien mythology and political intrigue, but writer Paul Cornell (Action Comics, Demon Knights, Doctor Who) and artist Ryan Kelly (Local, Lucifer) are certainly up to the task.

The narrative centers on New Mexico Governor Arcadia Alvarado and her plan to run for President on the Democratic ticket. The strong Hispanic female divorcée has plenty of hurdles in her life: she has an alcoholic ex-husband and recently was abducted by aliens. The latter proves to be Saucer Country‘s X-Files-esque dramatic vessel. Now she wants to expose the alien invaders, but wants to keep it hush-hush so she won’t lose her bid for president.

Paul Cornell writes female characters really well and Alvarado is a perfect example. She doesn’t mess around and commands her political team with a commanding voice. Many of the series’ secondary characters are quickly and easily introduced in this debut issue. There’s also an intriguing secondary through-line that follows Joshua Kidd, a Harvard University professor who’s an expert on alien lore who’s dealing with his own problems. Hopefully, we will get more information about him in new episodes.

Kelly’s art is fine on this issue. His human characters don’t really stand out. The Grey-style aliens are the best examples of his subtle linework. Giulia Brusco‘s (Scalped) moody colors highlight the scariness of these creatures that haunt our hero’s dreams. Despite its X-Files fan-angling title, Saucer Country #1 is a must-read because of the human factor. You honestly care about Alvarado’s political hopes and her election team is filled with interesting characters. Give this new Vertigo a shot. (www.paulcornell.com / www.funrama.blogspot.com)

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