What happens when you build your society on the words and actions of a genocidal madman? How do lifestyles and attitudes evolve after generations of fostering that mindset? Lightstep shows us some of the terrifying possibilities.

In a galactic empire, the aristocratic class worships a man called the Primogenitor. An insane dictator, he slaughtered his entire family before putting forth a doctrine of blood purity—and extermination of anyone who isn’t part of the elite bloodline. His followers are determined to mimic his actions exactly, from the cutting off of one finger, down to a festival reenactment of a brutal execution.

January Lee is not convinced that this class system she was raised in is admirable or worth following. Gifted with visions of the Primogenitor’s life, she sees him for the madman he was and their society for the cult that it is. The question is, though, will she continue to fall in line, or will she rebel against the system, and possibly even do something to help the poor, ordinary workers whom her people are exploiting and exterminating throughout the galaxy?

This first issue gets into some pretty heavy stuff, from racial supremacy to eugenics and more. There are a lot of interesting concepts here, most of which are touched on only briefly. I’d like to see more of how their galactic society functions and particularly to explore the lives of those not lucky enough to be born with pure blood on an elite world. I’m sure future issues will expand on these concepts as the story arc continues.

The story builds an intricate and fascinating sci-fi world, but a large part of that world building is also accomplished in the artwork. Milos Slavkovic’s vivid and detailed depictions of the Primogenitor, his followers, and the world they live in are integral in helping us get immersed in what’s going on and invested in what happens next. I, for one, am looking forward to the next issue.

Creative Team: Milos Slavkovic (script, art, color, and cover art), Mirko Topalski (script), Dave Stewart (cover color), and Andrej Bunjac (lettering)
Publisher: Dark Horse
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