Writer: Daniel A Prim
Artist: Gergely J. Szabo
Free Fantasy Comics, 2026 [yet to be published]
The Last Arrival #1 is a science fiction comic written by Daniel A. Prim, with artwork by Gergely J. Szabo and published by Free Fantasy Comics. While the premise initially appears straightforward, the comic quickly reveals itself to be more interested in mystery and world-building than a standard dystopia
The story follows a group of extraterrestrial travelers who have been selected to undertake a journey to Earth. Although the comic leaves it unclear whether the events take place in the distant past or far future, the travelers expect to find a barren world rich in the resources their species requires. Much of the issue is dedicated to introducing the central cast, explaining why each individual was chosen for the mission, and provides glimpses into their personalities and backgrounds.
This deliberate focus on character development leads to an initially slow narrative progression. However, the pacing issue is understandable. The protagonists are not merely humans with unusual appearances. They are alien beings with their own customs, perspectives, and terminology. Establishing these differences requires time, and the payoff to that measured tempo occurs once the cast reaches Earth.
The final portion of the issue dramatically shifts gears. Upon arrival, the explorers discover that Earth is indeed empty, but not in the way they expected. Signs of an intelligent civilization can be found within the planet. Machines, comic books, and other remnants suggest that humanity once thrived here before vanishing under mysterious circumstances.
Even more intriguing is the implication that whatever happened may have caused the original inhabitants to either leave in a hurry, or disappear suddenly. The issue closes on an cliffhanger, leaving readers pondering humanity’s rapid atrophy.
One clever storytelling device helps make the comic’s science fiction concepts accessible. As expected in a story centered on alien protagonists, there is a fair amount of unfamiliar terminology. Rather than forcing readers to decipher every term through context alone, one of the characters carries an advanced translation device that provide real-time explanations. This integrates exposition into the story while avoiding the feeling of an intrusive information dump.
The artwork may prove challenging for some readers, though not because of any deficiency in execution. The visual style fully embraces the comic’s alien nature. The characters are distinctly non-human despite their bipedal forms, and the coloring relies on highly saturated, high-contrast , and garish hues that can sometimes feel overwhelming – deliberately, we suspect, so as to reinforce the reader’s appreciation of something which is “other”. Other scenes lean into darker territory, using muddy oranges, browns, and dense, scratchy linework to create a rough and textured appearance.
These artistic choices, in our view, are what give The Last Arrival its identity and appeal. In an era where many comics favor clean digital rendering and polished vector aesthetics, Mr Szabo’s loose, tactile approach feels refreshingly different. The gritty linework grounds the world in a sense of physical reality, while the bold colors introduce a dreamlike, almost psychedelic quality that complements the comic’s strange atmosphere.
While the opening chapters occasionally move at a measured pace, The Last Arrival #1 successfully lays the groundwork for a compelling mystery. By the time the issue reaches its closing pages, the question is no longer whether these aliens will survive on Earth, but what happened to us. We have a vested interest as a species. Our absence in the pages other than by our artefacts reduces us to an archeological curiosity, in a way which echoes the grim evolutionary futures of HG Wells’ The Time Machine (1895). That mystery alone is more than enough reason to return for the next instalment.
This title is the subject of a forthcoming Kickstarter launch: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tripolar/the-last-arrival