The first issue of Lightstep was fascinating but also a little off-putting in its depiction of a supposed Master Race built around eugenics and genocide. They were the villains of the story, of course, but even so, it was disconcerting to spend so much time and detail introducing them. This issue, on the other hand, is just as fascinating but also a whole lot more fun. This issue gives us space radio pirates.

Jazzman and his tiny alien assistant, Colony 66, scour the galaxy for snippets of old 1940s radio broadcasts. In the process, they run afoul of a lizard crime boss and pick up an unlikely hitchhiker—January, our heroine from the previous issue, who is on the run from her genocidal Master Race society. Together, they devise – then enact – a plan to defeat the lizard crime boss—a plan so crazy, it probably won’t work.

One of the most interesting parts of the previous issue was how it addressed light speed time dilation and how it affects an empire capable of interstellar travel. This issue dives into those concepts even more, showing some practical applications—and pitfalls—of functioning in a world where one person experiences time differently than the person on the next ship.

I’m really getting into this comic. I don’t want to give too much away, but this issue has got me hooked much more than the first one did. It’s got a number of my favorite sci-fi things in it, including serial radio adventures from the 1940s. It’s got plenty of action and adventure, but also some deeper, more complex concepts that I haven’t seen explored much in sci-fi and that require a bit more thought to wrap your mind around. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll definitely want to check out Lightstep #2.

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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