This story is peculiar but with great artwork. The story is set on a colonised planet and the residents having sucked all they can from the planet are on their way to colonise another planet.

Some of the residents though have made up their minds not to go to the next planet, and as they prepare to stay in the now barren planet, new friendships are made and new life emerges from the old one.

The artwork is dream like which illustrates a world which has been consumed by its inhabitants. I thought the story was initially hard to follow but I enjoyed it in the end.

Copy provided via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Genuinely didn't like it. I'm all for fiction that's unapologetically weird, even at the risk of alienating readers. I don't need a classically Western storytelling structure; in fact I like getting swept up in narratives that don't give a fuck and break "rules" to achieve what they want.

If I can tell there's intention behind it.

Space Junk sadly felt like a work that failed to communicate what the creator was going for. The characters were a mess imo and I've already seen/read too many "outsiders finding their true home away from home"-stories to be impressed with this one AT ALL. I also didn't like the art style (which is due to personal taste), found the colors far too similar to create any depth or properly separate fore- and background (in hue, brightness and saturation), the panels much too crowded and busy ands the overall layout confusing at times (which is not due to personal taste).

I don't know, I expected this to be right up my alley but it really wasn't for me.

- ARC provided by NetGalley -

In my personal opinion, this book lacked any kind of cohesive plot. I didn’t enjoy reading it at all.

A beautifully illustrated sci-fi tale of desperation. I. thoroughly loved this graphic novel and had a great time experiencing this epic journey.

In the remnants of a dying planet, Faith and Hoshi find themselves among the misfits who refuse to leave. Faith wears a mysterious metal plate on her head, while Hoshi channels his rage through an emotional support chicken. As the shuttles depart, these lonely souls grapple with existential questions: “What’s the point?” Their orbits intersect, and they form an unlikely bond.
Despite its pacing issues, “Space Junk” explores themes of trauma, connection, and resilience. A solid read for fans of thought-provoking graphic novels.

First off, I love Julian Hanshaw's art in this book. Absolutely top notch. The story was a miss for me, though. There were too many gaps in the plot to make it feel cohesive.

A solid sci-fi graphic novel that’s a little punk rock, and has a lot of heart. I’m not going to lie and say it’s all great because it wasn’t. Parts were clunky, and I wasn’t 100% sold on the side storyline, but it’s still an enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed the funky art style, cool tones, and apocalyptic space setting. The two main characters are poignantly vulnerable teenagers stuck fending for themselves on a dying planet abandoned by most of the adults in their lives. The book has a gritty yet inspiring message on the powerful impact of social connection on resiliency, as the two teens bond over their shared therapist and bullies.

Netgalley Review

Star Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This was a weird read. Read it all the way to the end and I'm still not sure what to think. It had some funny parts, some weird parts, some trying to be serious part. Overall, I just couldn't take it serious. I felt like a lot of the serious, heavy-hitter topics were kind of lost in the mess of everything else. The ending, I think, solidifies my comment. You get all the way to the end and you think everything is going to get answered and the serious topics are going to finally come to a head and everything is gonna get all wrapped up. Nope. Instead you get rush, rush, rush, rush, rush, the end. Hope you enjoyed the big topics that this book talked about.

It's a very abrupt end and really takes away from the rest of the book.

Art style is interesting. I wanted to not like it at first, but it definitely grew on me!

Like always though, read it and decide for yourself

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley. Content warning for sexual assault/harassment, animal cruelty, and interpersonal violence.)

-- 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 where necessary. --

On an unnamed planet, its remaining residents pack up buildings, exterminate what remains of their agricultural animals, and undergo psychological counseling for the days ahead. In the near future, humanity is a parasite: we hop from planet to planet, staying just long enough to strip it of resources before moving on. The adult "Pathfinders" make the journey first, in order to prepare their new "home" for their children. Naturally, this leads to no small amount of chaos and disaffection on the old planet.

Faith and Hoshi are "stay behinds," a small minority who choose not to make the trip. (Though seemingly allowed, staying on a planet is heavily discouraged; an automated recording on departing shuttles blares, "Failure to board on time will lead to abandonment and public shame.") Both are what you might call misfits: Faith has a metal plate bolted to her forehead, thanks to a night of drunken shenanigans by her now-dead parents. Hoshi struggles with anger management problems on account of his parents' constant absence. Faith's head plate attracts space junk; Counselor Uzmaki gifted Hoshi an emotional support hen (named Smudge and rescued from the kill floor) to help him cope.

I won't say more - partially because I'm not entirely sure what happened, but also because the joy is in the discovery. Suffice to say, SPACE JUNK is one weird and psychedelic graphic novel. The art is visually arresting, but also sometimes gets in the way of the narrative; again, it's often difficult to follow the action. I like the general idea of the story, but it kind of morphs from science fiction to magical realism (I think?) near the end. The ending was kind of perfect and much more satisfying than the mere beatdown I thought Steve was going to scrape by with. (Hate that guy.) Smudge really stole the show though imho.

Honestly not my favorite overall.
But I feel like plenty of people would enjoy this one, just not for me personally.

Honestly, this book was not for me. I'm not sure if it was the style or maybe it is supposed to be off putting and kind of confusing, but honestly it just wasn't for me. I typically enjoy a future / space adventure but this felt dull in the ways sci-fi is usually exciting, and fell flat for me. This is not a graphic novel I'll be recommending to my followers.

Thank you very much for the ARC anyways!

Space Junk is weird, and it does weird extremely well. It's graphic, quirky, terrifying and heart melting, so if you're going in expecting a nice colorful linear sci-fi then you're in for the surprise of your life. Our characters live and bleed on the pages, so I won't give away any of the story. Just know that it takes patience for it all to make sense, and once it does you'll likely be as hooked as I was.

I rarely run into a weird book that stays with me, but this one is something special. If you're here for outcasts, brutal violence and intolerable injustice, come right in, we've saved you a spot on the rocketship.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

I was immediately drawn to the artwork and colors used in this graphic novel. This book tells the story of two outcasts that are bullied and find each other. It’s a cute story.

Thank you to NetGalley, IDW Publishing, and Top Shelf productions!
I want to start with what I really enjoyed. I love the art style. It’s unique and fits the story perfectly. I also really like the coloring of this comic. It’s beautiful and draws the eye in. The story is really heartwarming. Two traumatized people who feel like outcasts, find solace in one another. The characters were interesting as well. It was a good comic and I enjoyed reading, however I don’t think I will continue the series. 3.5/4 stars.

Space Junk tells the story of Faith and Hoshi, two children/young adults on a planet humans have stripped of all resources and are preparing to leave. Both are harassed for being weird, and both are assigned to the same therapist. Hoshi struggles with rage, but loves chickens. Faith has a metal plate in her head, which makes her self-conscious. Slowly their stories converge.

Space Junk is a bit dark but so much fun. Outcasts who get to beat up their bullies, a pet chicken, weird powers (magical? technological? both?), and people making their own choices and building lives different from what they're "supposed to" want. What's not to love? Space Junk uses a vibrant palette with lots of pink, blue, orange, and black that complements the storytelling.

I liked the art style and the premise but it was kinda boring. It had a lot of things that felt like it was a waste of time and didn't add to the story in any way. It was a quick read and it wasn't a complete waste of time. I would recommend it to die-hard sci-fi and graphic novel fans.

When all the resources have been used up on one planet, everyone decides it's time to up and leave, transporting all the buildings and people to the next planet, ready to deplete the resources there too. The adults go first, getting everything ready for the kids who are set to travel a bit later, and among those kids are Hoishi and Faith, both of whom are not so convinced they want to leave with the others.

This graphic novel at its heart is about the feeling of feeling okay because you know someone is right there with you. The art was unique and worked well in the story. The stark backgrounds and muted spacey colours filled up the pages even with its simplicity. I will say however some of the panels were a bit vague, so it was hard to tell what they were depicting which at times removed me from the flow of the story.

While this was sweet, it was not something I think will really stick with me after the fact, I think it was an enjoyable time, but it was just that! I am however interested in checking out other works by Julian Hanshaw!

Thank you to NetGalley and IDW Publishing for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Space Junk by Julian Hanshaw is a charming and unique science fiction story that explores friendship, trust and self-discovery set against a backdrop of space. Space Junk is a quirky, weird and beautiful coming-of-age tale.

In the shattered remnants of a doomed planet, the last shuttles are leaving soon... So why do these misfits want to stay behind? Faith has a metallic mystery bolted to her head. Hoshi keeps his rage in check with an emotional support chicken. On a dying world where most adults have already left and the remaining kids are training for their turn, these two are starting to wonder "what's the point?" Gradually, a cluster of lonely souls who've spent their lives emotionally adrift are pulled into one another's orbits as they try to stay in place in a universe that is moving all too quickly.

The artwork in Space Junk is unconventional and something we don't typically gravitate towards when looking for a new graphic novel. However, it was captivating and fit this story so perfectly. The weird and cartoonish style is something unique that along with simple backgrounds and panel design give us a visually attractive experience. Additionally, Hanshaw uses flat contrasting colors that make each panel pop off the page. After diving into the book, the artwork was definitely a highlight.

The quirky characters and their emotional journeys are at the heart of Space Junk. From Faith with her metallic mystery bolted to her head to Hoshi who finds solace in an emotional support chicken, each character brings something unique to the story. As these lonely souls come together and form connections, they begin to question their purpose on a planet that is slowly crumbling around them. Their struggles and growth make for a touching and heartfelt story that will resonated long after the final page.

A sucker for a story based in space, this graphic novel checked off a few boxes. Even though I typically shy away from this art style, Space Junk was definitely a hell of a journey. A unique blend of poignant and thought-provoking story with elements of science fiction and coming-of-age themes makes for a well rounded graphic novel. Julian Hanshaw has created a truly unique and special graphic novel that is worth adding to your book shelf.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, IDW Publishing Top Shelf Productions, for an advance copy of this science fiction graphic novel about a future where planets are disposable, and so it seems are the teens that live there.

I can't imagine being a teenager today. During my difficult years as my parents called it, I had the idea that the world was against me, but I couldn't really prove it. As an adult I see the world is against teens in so many ways. A future without a climate, or animals. Jobs that might be there, might not be there, but go into debt to find out. Inability to find places to live, banning things like TikTok, because the truth is not televised, it is sent in short videos. Cops busting the heads of protesters, and standing outside classrooms while students are being murdered. I am sure there is more, but that's enough. Adults have and continue to fail kids, and it shows no sign of changing, even in the future. Space Junk is a story about teens on a planet that is due to be evacuated, used up and cast aside, as these children feel they are, written and illustrated by Julian Hanshaw.

The planet is dying, and instead of doing the hard work of taking care of it, the people of the planet just pack up everything and move to the next one. Whole buildings are packed up and sent by shuttles, along with the inhabitants of the world, in descending order of importance it seems. Still remaining are teens and some select adults, the teens undergoing training, the adults needed to keep things going. Faith is a young woman with a metal plate in her head, and nothing in the way of fond memories about her parents, who carried her from casino to casino. Faith remember more the hostesses and bartenders than moments with her parents, and is in no real rush to leave. Hoshi is considered an oddity, and deals with rage issues. These have been sort of calmed by the gift of a black chicken from a counselor, Mr. Uzmaki. Faith and Honshi grow closer as the time of evacuation comes closer, both in no rush to leave, and finding comfort with each other, even while dealing with their problems.

A story that is both sad, and yet inspiring. The characters are well done, not futuristic whiz kids, but damaged people without the tools to deal with their problems, failed by everyone around them. And yet they are taking care of themselves, as best they can. The idea of the planet being used up is interesting, and is a good setting for the story. I liked the characters, and I liked why they felt the way they did. The art really compliments the story. Complex on backgrounds, with technology and ship designs really well done. However it is the characters that also bring this story to life. The little things, looks on the face, the marks that Hoshi makes on himself to calm his rage. Even the chicken. A really beautiful story about being young, being lost, and maybe making a friend.

Not a straight science fiction story, this is more a coming of age, finding one self tale, told in space. However this is a really good story, with an interesting plot and characters. Very well told, and quite touching. This is the first thing that I have read by Julian Hanshaw, I plan to read much more.