There’s some familiar elements to 50 Girls 50, but added
together and you have a great mix of campy sci-fi that hasn’t been seen since
the golden era of television. 50 Girls 50 is about a team of women
that are sent through a worm hole to discover the galaxy and bring home their
discoveries after being gone for over five years. The warp is set to return
them, but due to a miscalculation somewhere they are sent to a different planet
that’s nowhere on their maps.
The women decide that while they’re there, they’ll at least
explore the planet. Officer Bakula and Officer Ramnarain are dispatched to the
planet’s surface only to have their shuttle crash due to something in the
atmosphere. Stranded on the surface, they encounter huge insects looking to
make a meal out of them. They also discover that anything made of plastic is
being dissolved due to the atmosphere. Now the ladies must figure out a way to
get back to the ship so they can get back home… before all of their clothes
fall off.
The story was actually very interesting. It had an
intentional 60’s sci-fi look to it, but with a lot of modern technology and
terms added to it. It really is a well thought out idea. If it maintains the “new
planet every week” concept it could actually bridge the gap that Star
Trek and Doctor Who comics having been trying to do for years. Doug
Murray and Frank Cho make an excellent writing team. There are elements of
Cho’s previous works in the mix for sure, but Murray is either reigning Cho in
or the driving force behind the story.
In terms of art, this is where Axel Medellin shows off his
true talents. I may have doubted him on Elephantmen saying that his style was
close but not Moritat, but now I get it. This guy can take anyone’s style and
make it his own. The art style is so striking to Cho’s that you’ll take a
second look before realizing it’s not him. It’s crazy, but really effective as
it plays to the way that Cho tells a story. I have no idea how Medellin pulls
off two books that are going to be going monthly, but if I am really enjoying
his art for this series and on Elephantmen.
This book probably won’t have a mass appeal to a lot of
comic readers and will be a bit different from what fans of Cho’s have come to
expect, but I promise you if you give this book a chance you’ll find that it’s
very intelligent, full of humor and has a dark side! At the very least if you
like space and women you should get this book.
Overall Score – 8.1/10
*Great for new readers and Sci-Fi lovers*