Ascender #1 | by Jeff Lemire & Dustin Nguyen | Published: April 24, 2019 by Image Comics |

From the Image Comics solicitation:

“THE HAUNTED GALAXY,” Part One Powerhouse creative team JEFF LEMIRE and DUSTIN NGUYEN launch an all-new sequel series to DESCENDER with the launch of ASCENDER! Set ten years after the conclusion of DESCENDER’s storyline, magic has taken the place of machinery and the rules are very different indeed… Mila, the daughter of Andy and Effie from DESCENDER, spends her days exploring the lonely wilds of the planet Sampson and trying to stay out of the clutches of the evil disciples of the all-powerful vampire witch known only as Mother. But, like her parents, Mila doesn’t like to play by the rules, and when a certain robot pal of her dad’s shows up, nothing will ever be the same! With all the scope and heart of the sci-fi classic DESCENDER, LEMIRE and NGUYEN reunite to take readers on an unforgettable fantasy quest!

This first issue, and naturally the series, is obviously meant for those who are fans of the series predecessor, DESCENDER (by the same creative team) that recently wrapped. I had dipped my toe in the former series’ water for a few issues (two, maybe three, I don’t remember), but I found it to be very lukewarm and I got out of the pool rather quickly. Well, ASCENDER is the planned successor to DESCENDER and for an outsider looking in it’s a bit unwelcoming and impenetrable to the uninitiated. At the very least, though, I was able to appreciate the science fiction concept of it and its overall scope. But it’s just not for me. At least not without returning to and finishing DESCENDER first. DESCENDER was a bit of a hit so its initiated fans should enjoy this series just the same.