UFO: Undercover! Yerstory Transmedia. (w) Eric Warwaruk. (a) Diego Lugli. 2023. 268pp.
When ordinary lives intersect with the supernatural you can end up with a very satisfying story. A really good space alien story needs a creator who embraces the tropes. Writer/creator Eric Warwaruk knows how to lean into the ordinary and the uncanny to achieve great results.
It’s the journey that is most important in these kinds of stories. The reader invests time in getting to know the characters, usually down on their luck with little prospects. And then, one day, something other-worldly happens. Suddenly, ordinary lives are seen in a new light. Suddenly, 25-year-old Tyler’s UFO podcast becomes very relevant. Not even his best friend Scott can scoff at him now.
If you are looking for a very relatable story with everyday folks confronting a certain X-factor like Stranger Things, then this slow-burn thriller will satisfy you.
The artwork by Diego Lugli is a perfect fit for this story about a daydreamer who dares to keep dreaming. There’s a very fine mix of the whimsical with the surreal. In this comic, in the spirit of such mighty daydreamers as David Lynch, the ordinary is quite extraordinary. There’s a very placid energy running through these characters, spooky in a good way. I love the fact that our hero is so reluctant. The publisher behind this project, Yerstory Transmedia, works with various media and I could see a movie version of this comic book. Sure, why not? That said, I’m charmed by the fun and weird vibes of this authentic work just as it is.
“Why me?”
I encourage you to seek out this very charming and quirky Sci-Fi thriller. And be sure to keep up with Eric Warwaruk and the rest of his comics titles at Yerstory.