Alpha and Omega
Published and © by Spire, 1978
Title: “Alpha and Omega”
Synopsis: Space explorer Alpha and his unexpected female companion, Omega, explore a new dimension and are soon tempted by Lucifer.
Writer: Al Hartley
Artist: Hartley
Review: Oh, Spire Christian comics. You were always there lurking during the Bronze Age, a religious Trojan horse trying to slip unknowingly into Little Me’s haul of swap-meet comics. And this one, with its sci-fi theme, quite possibly could have snuck through. The book starts with some thinly veiled genre remixes of Adam and Eve and the story of Jonah, but ultimately gives up the pretense and starts hammering home the Jesus. With its clear disdain for government, science and knowledge, this comic won’t be everybody’s jam. But it is clearly a labor of love for writer/artist Al Hartley.
Grade: B-
Cool factor: Al Hartley’s art here is an oddly enjoyable mix of mainstream action and Archie-style cartooning. His also makes great use of interior splash pages.
Not-so-cool factor: After maintaining an illusion of secular appeal for the book’s first three-quarters, the conclusion is painfully preachy.
Character quotable: “I’m receiving data from a higher source – please stand by.” – Alpha, unknowingly communicating with God
Editor’s note: This review was written Nov. 17, 2021.
