BOOM! Studios; $19.99

Joyride begins with rebellion and the promise of adventure. The Earth is covered by a bubble called SafeSky because people believe that the real sky is filled with dangerous aliens. They are convinced of this through the propaganda that saturates their lives, via the world government, Triumvirate.

That’s when the adventurous Uma and her unfailingly loyal best friend Dewydd – who also has a huge crush on her – decide to breach SafeSky and explore the universe. While escaping they are unintentionally joined by security guard Catrin, causing immediate tension with Uma. From there, they visit an alien mall, wander into a quarantined zone, and explore an uncharted planet. Now, all 12 issues are gathered in one collection.

Joyride is more than just a light, adventure sci-fi story. That’s the tone of the first few issues, and it’s very entertaining. The characters are likeable even when they don’t like each other, and the art and colors are creative with designs that harken to other sci-fi material, while also producing some fresh character and setting designs.

Joyride travels beyond the lighthearted tone with some heroic stories, acts of sacrifice, and real, relatable relationships. In the beginning, the reader is tempted to predict where characters will end up, but instead are continuously surprised by revelations and development that happens in refreshingly organic ways.

What starts with a rebellious young woman, her love struck best friend, and a frustrated by-the-book soldier galivanting through space turned into a world-saving tale of bravery, sacrifice, growth, and love. Not only that, the book went out of its way to illustrate and celebrate the beauty in all of humanity’s messy glory. It was indeed a wonderful joyride.

–Amanda SheriffJoyride Complete Collection