The universe is dying, and the dwindling populations of the last seven species to still exist are all aboard the Ark-like Terminus, racing through space to avoid the catastrophic ‘Big Rip’.

Tensions are high among the different lifeforms aboard the Terminus, however, and things are barely held together by the young idealistic human, President Lamarr.

There’s a rumour that supplies are going to run out, and Lamarr has to choose whether or not to send a party out to find more; a decision which is likely to prove fateful, not just for Lamarr herself, but for numerous passengers onboard the Terminus too.

The End of All: Terminus issue one does an absolutely fantastic job of drawing readers into its complex and layered world, with a good focus on the different politics being played by the very distinct alien lifeforms on board the ship.

President Lamarr herself is very well sketched out in terms of her character and her doubts about why she was seen to be the best pair of hands to lead the ship’s population, but she’s far from the only compelling character here.

Writer Jeffrey Haas does well to cover plenty of exposition, yet also finds time for some brilliantly tense sequences of both politics and more straight up action, ably assisted by artist BA Shipp’s detailed, black and white art.

With Todd Tochioka using colour and various fonts for speech and captions, he adds further detail to the assumed speech patterns and voices of the unique creatures on the ship.

This is a really impressive start, setting up quite the conundrum for the President and her crew by the final panels; I’m definitely looking forward to checking out the next issues when they arrive.

The End of All: Terminus #1 is currently seeking funds with a crowdfunding campaign via Kickstarter. You can check out the various pledge levels and get your own copy here.

Many thanks to creator Jeff Haas for providing me with a copy of The End of All: Terminus #1 for review purposes.