When launched in March 2012, Saucer Country was plugged as a
hybrid between The West Wing and The X-Files. Despite it being an odd tag-line
for a comic, I decided to give it a go for its intriguing premise.
Based around Governor Arcadia Alvarado of New Mexico, the
comic tells the tale of her attempts to run for the presidency of the United
States whilst hiding the fact she, along with her ex-husband Michael, is an
alien abductee.
As Alvarado attempts to form a political team that is
able to deal with her revelation, she also hires a former Harvard professor to
investigate her abduction, in the hope her political status will help prepare
what may eventually become an alien invasion.
From reading Saucer Country, it is evident it was intended
for a fairly long run, given its slow pace, so it must be disappointing to its
creative team, Paul Cornell (Wolverine) and Ryan Kelly (Lucifer) that publisher
Vertigo recently decided to cancel the title after #14.
Whilst it is certainly
a shame a title with promise has been culled relatively early in its run, it is
perhaps no major surprise given that the title has not built on its initial
premise. From its debut issue in March 2012 to January’s #11, sales figures
have dropped from 15,000 to 6,000.
Instead of dealing with the alien threat, it focuses more on
UFO mythology and the historical context of alien abductions. With the use of
Professor Kidd and several psychiatrist sessions for Arcadia and Michael, it essentially
serves as an introduction for abductions for the uninitiated. Whilst the comic
has seen progress in the political journey from governor to presidential
candidate, although it has been badly paced, the abduction arc has barely moved
on. Whilst it is discussed at great length between the characters, readers are
still awaiting any significant exposition regarding the identity of the aliens
and their motives. Whilst I appreciate the need to plan out a storyline, at
some point there has to be a pay-off to keep people intrigued and this never
seemed to happen with Saucer Country.
The comic also suffers from changes in tone that disrupt the
flow of the story. In general, Saucer Country strikes a fairly dark, intense
mood however, Professor Kidd is revealed to regularly hallucinate as he speaks
to what appear to be a miniature naked couple who aid him in assisting the Governor.
As one might think, this does not fit in well with the rest of the comic.
Additionally, any momentum gained is often lost during its
run as it has dedicated the occasional issue to a backstory, aside from the
main arc. As an example, #12 features Michael’s childhood memories of playing
with imaginary fairies with a friend.
With just two more issues before cancellation, it is hard to
see how much can be resolved. One assumes the alien threat will be open ended
whilst the presidential race concludes. In interviews, it is hoped it will
continue in some form, this is far from certain.
