If you’ve read the iconic sci-fi story The War of the Worlds (by legendary, pioneering sci-fi author HG Wells) you’ll know the valiant battle in which HMS Thunder Child, a naval ironclad ship, takes on the Martian tripod war machines. If you aren’t familiar with the book itself, but you know the story from Jeff Wayne’s incredibly ambitious 1978 concept album of the same name, there’s an entire song (also called Thunder Child, perhaps unsurprisingly) devoted to the fight between the naval vessel and the tripods.

It helps to know a bit of the background when reading the first issue of Thunder Child, which covers the story from the perspective of those actually aboard the ship itself. However, if you don’t know the story in advance, what happens within the pages of the comic will likely come as a surprise.

Kicking off with the opening lines from The War of the Worlds (in text form), we’re then introduced to the bunch of misfits that make up the crew of the Thunder Child, with two of them (Mr and Mrs Young) using the ship’s telescope to observe strange phenomena occuring on Mars. Before long, something has fallen into the sea near the ship, and a dilemma presents itself; should they attempt to recover or rescue it? And does their choice affect the shocking events to come?

I really enjoyed this unique take on the classic source material, which steadily builds tension as we get to know the ragtag crew members, with a great sense of individuality and characterisation for each of them. Writers Matt Hardy and Rob Jones do an excellent job of making each member of the crew feel unique, and they all have their place in the story.

They’re assisted brilliantly by artist Kevin Castaniero, who brings a sort of exaggerated, Tintin-esque vibe to the human characters. When he’s required to bring a large scale, widescreen feel to the action, he doesn’t disappoint either.

Simon Gough’s colours are bold and bright when they need to be, and almost overwhelmingly, but logically, dominated with red once things shift into high gear.

The physical comic itself is beautifully produced, on thick paper, with a nice cardstock cover too. It’s clear that a lot of care and attention has gone into the creation of Thunder Child, from the narrative to the artwork and even the high production values of the actual comic.

It’s a fantastic, incredibly compelling first chapter (of three), and I can’t wait to read more. Even if you haven’t read The War of the Worlds, there’s an awful lot to like here; Thunder Child impresses on just about every level.