If the second issue of Exit Generation dialed the tension up a notch, the third installment in the futuristic, carnivorous alien rescue story takes things up to eleven! Hanna may have only used a flight simulator before, but she knows how to drive her duct-taped and salvaged space craft, even if her maneuvers scare Scrap and Mo to death. (Jack appears to be enough of an adrenaline junky to love risking his life with Han’s crazy stunts.)  While they hurtle towards the alien space ship, Grunt, the vegetarian prison guard, helps the human food escape the larder, but he drops a serious bomb before the captives can board an escape ship: The ship’s leader found Earth because they captured a survivor of the Exit Project, and the individual needs to be rescued along with the other captives!

The third volume of Exit Generation goes into full-bore adventure mode, and it’s an amazing ride every step of the way.  At the same time, there is some pathos at the realization that one of Exit Project’s lost souls has been found, even as the captives learn that everyone else in the mission died.

There are no major new additions in volume three, but the continuing cast grows and reveals new sides of themselves.  I still adore Hanna for being smart, sassy, tough as nails, and willing to take risks in the name of testing her abilities. She even pulls off a flight maneuver into a garbage chute that makes me think of some of the crazy stunts from the original Star Wars trilogy. At the risk of sounding like an internet meme, I think she may be my spirit animal.

If you thought that Grunt and the various Ruleians were well drawn in previous issues of Exit Generation, prepare to be stunned by some of the most amazing facial expressions for Grunt as he explains the fate of the bulk of the humans in the Exit Project and the lone survivor.  Seeing compassion, worry, and overall empathy on a reptilian face touched me in a way I never expected.  Maybe I should start paying more attention to the lizards that get into the house for water…

The final pages of Exit Generation #3 have a big reveal that will affect the way our rescuers handle the battle with the Ruleians in Issue #4, and I can’t wait! There will be some serious butt kicking, heartfelt reunions, and great space opera fun, but, in the end, what will happen with Grunt?

5 Daring Tight Flight Maneuvers into a Trash Chute out of 5