Homecoming #3
Written by David Wohl
Art by Emilio Laiso
Colors by Brett Smith
Letters by Josh Reed
Created by Michael Turner, David Wohl, Brad Foxhoven, and Scott Lobdell
Aspen Comics
Release Date: January 23, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

A meteorite has crashed in the Mojave Desert. Local radio DJ Tom “The Talking Tornado” Vinson tracks the meteorite and meets a mysterious death. The Feds “” the whole alphabet soup of agencies “” investigate the site and the deaths of Vinson and two local deputies. Their question as they look at this “meteor crash” site is not just what killed the three men, but where did it go?

In previous issues of Homecoming, we were introduced to Celeste Lee, a high school girl who inexplicably showed up at her old house after she went missing ten years earlier. Only now she has strange, alien powers and a bad case of amnesia. The house’s new occupant, Hunter, took in Celeste and enrolled her in high school with him. Now, Celeste’s mother, Carla, shows up and the two try to piece together their experience 10 years ago.

In this issue, we learn much more about Carla and the story takes an unexpected twist. Writer David Wohl pens a solid story with believable, teen dialogue. As sci-fi as this premise might seem, its core is a high school drama. Homecoming is Aspen Comics’ answer to Smallville where a host of alien invaders revolve around a small town, high school student with strange superpowers. We’ve seen this all before, but almost all stories are derivative of another. A story’s quality is not judged solely by originality, but by its implementation; Homecoming is just well-executed fun.

It’s Wohl’s fusion of the extraordinary and the everyday ordinary that make Homecoming such an addicting read. Yes, the aliens drive the overarching storyline, but there are hundreds of other books about alien invasions. As much as we want to know about Celeste’s new powers and past ten years, we are equally as interested in knowing: can she live a normal life again? Or how long before she hooks up with Hunter? Or will Paul make the football team (with his new powers)? In fact, in a comic filled with spaceships and violent Alien/Predator-mashed overlords, the scene that I found laughably implausible was a full-contact, high school football practice with no pads.

Homecoming‘s art is a very clean, classic comic style. With its colorful gradients and shading, Homecoming would fit right in with a well-drawn 90s, Image style comic. If you’re a budding comic artist and can’t quite grasp how clothing moves along the body, allow Emilio Laiso to be your guide. His style emphasizes creases and wrinkles in clothing, which pop off the page with loving detail.

I first learned about Homecoming at the Dragon*Con 2012 Aspen Comics panel; out of all the series covered, this one was the one that grabbed my attention the most. And it does not disappoint. This series is developing at a quick rate and Homecoming #3 will definitely leave its fans pining for more. If you’re new to the series, this issue gives enough background to engage with the story, but I still recommend hunting down the two back issues.