Creator: Phillip Q. Hudson
Independently published, November 2026
We have included some spoilers within this yet-to-be published title, as is our want, and so please proceed with caution. Written and illustrated by Phillip Q. Hudson, Max Orbit is an independent sci-fi comic that follows twin 15-year-old bounty hunters Max and Min as they navigate the galaxy’s criminal underworld. Accompanied by their augmented dog, Koda, and guardian drone, Pearl, the swaggering siblings take on dangerous jobs for credits while pursuing a more personal goal: finding their missing family and uncovering the forgotten history of their people.
The story wastes little time getting to the action. A seemingly straightforward assignment on the remote planet Hyperion, undertaken for the Solis crime boss Lady Serpika, sends Max and Koda the dog into an ancient tower to retrieve a sealed canister. What begins as a routine job quickly turns into a fight for survival, with slaughtered mercenaries, a parasitic alien entity, plus an ambush by the White Wolves (a ruthless military squad led by Captain Rubina). Mr Hudson keeps the plot moving at a brisk pace, gradually piling on complications without losing sight of the central mission. Here is an image of the posing villains who harass Max and Min:
There is a good balance between the high-stakes action and the personalities of the characters. Max and Min’s sibling rivalry and the banter between characters give the story a playful, coming-of-age quality. The humor is a juxtaposition to the grimmer elements, and it does not undermine the danger the protagonists face. The result is an adventure that feels accessible without being overly juvenile, even as it introduces elements of body horror and a larger mystery that extends beyond the immediate mission.
One of the comic’s strongest assets is its character design. Max and Min look their age, but their appearances avoid the exaggerated proportions and overly cartoonish features often associated with younger protagonists in all-ages adventures. Max’s outfit is particularly striking, combining the visual language of Western superheroes with the more armored, tokusatsu-inspired look of a costumed hero. His full range of abilities remains unclear, although he is plainly an effective fighter who can unleash laser blasts from his fists. (Whether this is an innate power or a technological enhancement is still an open question. This reminds us a little of Kammi from Marvel Comics’ Avengers: Arena – who needs super-powers if you have a science fiction arsenal at your disposal? )
Mr Hudson’s impressive artwork gives the comic a distinct visual identity. His line work and designs combine familiar space-opera elements with sleek cybernetics and old-school superhero influences (Max’s red jump suit, holstered pistol, and white cape is a little EC Comics, a little Star Wars). The characters and their technology feel at home within a futuristic criminal underworld.
The ancient tower sequence is especially effective, with dramatic framing and expressive panel layouts conveying both the unsettling presence of the alien creature and the frantic pace of the ensuing action. The shift from exploration to danger feels natural.
As an independent comic, Max Orbit makes a promising first impression through its combination of colorful science-fiction adventure, likable characters, and an underlying mystery that gives its action a greater purpose. There is still plenty about the twins’ history, their abilities, and the galaxy they inhabit that remains unexplored, as befits a periodical comic book with, hopefully, a long publishing history to come.
Here is our critics’ summary for Mr Hudson for use in his efforts to procure funding: Max Orbit has the makings of an entertaining space adventure, with enough humor to balance its darker moments and enough mystery to demonstrate that the bounty-hunting jobs are only one part of a much larger story. Max Orbit will be launching on Kickstarter in November 2026. Here is the link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maxorbit/max-orbit-1 We wish Mr Hudson the best of luck.