I enjoyed this look into some fun characters and their present home. Not a lot happened in volume one, mostly just seeing the stage for more to come. I would have liked to have seen more of a conflict in volume 1. The three main characters are intriguing which leads me to want more though!
The artistic details were wonderful! Lots of hidden icons and such in the background which kept me zooming in to inspect. Also, the addition of the images of earth were beautiful.

In the future, Earth has become uninhabitable, so colonies are built on the moon and Mars. Three delinquent girls at a school on the moon are just trying to make it day by day without getting in trouble. When another group of girls reveals a life-changing secret, what will Stab, Una, and Yuki choose?

My first impression of the art style is that I absolutely love how colorful it is throughout the comic. It makes the whole thing feel like space throughout. Although the art style for the characters is not my favorite, it does not take away from the enjoyment for me. When reading comics or graphic novels, it's important that I enjoy the art while reading.

We don't get through much of the story in this volume. It does more to show the setting of the story and our three main characters. This makes sense as I have a feeling the plot will become more expansive in the future, however, if you are expecting a lot of action or a faster-moving plot for this first volume, that's not the case.

Despite the lack of action, I enjoyed learning about the world these girls live in. Early on we learn that they do not trust the history that is taught to them or the government in a sense. This is very interesting considering they are high schoolers and I would expect them to be a bit susceptible to what they're being taught. It isn't until later when they talk about their pasts that it makes more sense. This is not a story you should be skimming through as it seems like every detail has the potential to be important.

Una so far is my favorite. I love how sensible she is and I enjoy seeing her interactions with Yuki and Stab. I also definitely feel the same way about people stealing my snacks >.< I really look forward to seeing more of her in the next volume. Yuki is definitely interesting. I don't get the need to start fights or to start a gang, but I really like her loyalty to her friends and how much she does to help them from what I've seen so far. Stab is my least favorite of the trio. I've never been much of a fan of their type of character trope so I don't really hold it against this graphic novel.

Overall, I am definitely interested in reading the next volume as I am very curious as to where the story is heading. Especially with the ending scene. I also want to get to know these characters more. If you don't mind the slow start to this story, I definitely think you should give Space Trash volume 1 a chance.

This was a fun little comic. I liked the characters and it is a solid start to a series. I'm interested in the world Woodall introduced us to and I am eager to find out more about these characters. Not a ton happened in this first volume other than basic introduction but I'm definitely interested. I really liked the dynamic that was established between the characters as well. The sort of sisterly bond some of them shared. This definitely has the potential to be an amazing series and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Thank you, Oni Press, for allowing me to read Space Trash Vol. 1 early!

I enjoyed this first volume. Both the artworks and the protagonist were nice. I only wished it had been longer.

I’m not a terribly big fan of this? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it objectively, but it was short and I didn’t get hooked until right before it ended. It felt a little 2D and I think it just needed to be longer for more depth to the story. The second volume might fix that.

I'm going to start with the parts of it I liked. I loved the art -- it was rich, bright, and really established how frustrated these kids are and trying to constantly stand out against the drab brutalist setting they're living in. The pages are always busy without being overwhelming. Graffiti is everywhere, and the kids of this title have brightly dyed hair and colorful clothes -- there's an overall sense of anxious rebellion, pushing back against a world which is trying harder than ever to force them to conform. There's also a lot of fun references, from a very Utena-like lesbian volleyball comic that one of the characters reads, to an actual keychain of Wedding Peach (which I'm surprised they managed to get in so exactly).

What didn't work so well for me was the setting. It was a retrofuture, clearly -- we're told vaguely that it is at least 10 years after 2091, but all the styles and technology is 1980s/1990s (down to literally a D.A.R.E sticker on the wall!). The teacher is an oversized clunky robot Tamagotchi, the high school looks very much like the one *I* attended in the 1990s, and other than space suits being used to go outside, it does not look like a futuristic setting at all. The problem with this is that so much of the plot revolves around it *actually* being in the future that it fails to actually work as a retrofuture to me. For it to be a retrofuture, it usually requires a combination of retro aesthetic (which this comic offers) with future technology (which this comic doesn't really offer). For example, 1980s neon punk aesthetic but with the ability to jack into computers and have your brain interface directly there with projected technologies and the extension of punk into bodymodification is how retrofuture tends to be portrayed in cyberpunk. You can have 1950s style clothing and building styles but with flying cars and personal robot attendants. What this has is 1980s-1990s styles of clothing, architecture, and the entire high school system, plus... I guess, modern (at most, and perhaps even outdated) technology, instead of the concept of the 1990s technology being reimagined for the future. Students use paper and pencils in this terraformed space. The spacecraft we see is old and gringy, with visible rivets etc. The one laptop we see is clunky and old. Everyone has books (down to what I think are the first five volumes of the manga NANA on the bookshelf) and they use old oversized CD players. Posters on the walls aren't for future stars but portrayed in older styles but are for actual Elvira, Astro Boy, Sailor Moon, etc. There is no real accessible technology; even the announcements are on corkboards.

Which is fine as an aesthetic but it muddied the setting for me a lot. It didn't feel grounded in a world that I could predict, due to that mismatch of concept and execution -- I didn't know what I was able to 'count on' as an expectation for what kind of thing characters would have available to them, what sort of thing they would and wouldn't be expected to know about as children 80 years in the future, etc. It felt exactly as if you had taken 1991 and put it a hundred years in the future instead of actually imagining what that future was through a 1990s lens -- I would have actually bought far more if it was in fact a diverted timeline, like making it so in the actual 1990s, with the tech available, NASA focused on terraforming and we went to space at the first news of the hole in the ozone, instead of trying to stick it out. Instead it asks you to believe the world stopped developing since 1991 but that 100 years passed after that, but without filling in the gaps of what DID happen in the years since in a way readers can pick up from the text and the illustration.

This all might seem very nitpicky and I'm sorry if so. I enjoyed the characters and art, but it means that I felt at a loss for understanding the world and how it had got us to this point, which is key in a story about how apparently they had *overreacted* to global warming in 2091 by launching humanity into space, and being told that it actually was still green and nice in what would be something like 2099, with a character who lived far from a big city, with a house surrounded by trees, and a pond nearby. Again, this could be a viable disjoint if ACTUALLY set in 1990 with the world facing the modern period of climate change and diverging on how we approached that. Instead, it's just -- it doesn't give enough information to ground me, only enough to confuse me about how it could be this way.

That said, again -- cute art, fun and understandably frustrated characters, and some sort of plot going on with the hall monitors working for the shady organization that runs the school and is apparently brainwashing people into thinking that climate change was realer than it actually was, and I'm curious to see how it goes. If you're looking for a fun cute punk retrofuture comic with queer characters definitely take a look! But the worldbuilding just went far enough to lose me, not far enough to sell me, and that was my main concern with it.

➥ 4.5 Stars

This was such a fun read! I think the art is probably some of my favorite out of all the graphic novels Ive read. The colors are vibrant and really bring the pages to life.

Each character is built well that no one really feels like a background character and you want to get to know our main 3 equally. I think the general plot setup was great and I'd be really interested in checking out future volumes to see how things progress.

If you're a fan of space or sci-fi type stories this is the story for you!

This was a fun, quick read. It's definitely an introductory volume, getting to know the characters and the situation they're in. There isn't much plot wise, though clearly there are things brewing that will be delved into in future volumes. If you like reading about friendship (and a hint of burgeoning romance), futuristic space boarding schools, or just want something lighthearted to fill a spare few minutes, this fits the bill.

Review to come near the end of August on blog/goodreads.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

<!--more-->

When I saw the cover + Jenn Woodall, I just knew I had to read this one! Thanks to the publishers for allowing me to read this one! I had fun! Tons of fun!

I will do a what I love/what I didn't love review. Just so very tired and so much more to do~

😍 The Cover! It looks so much fun and I love the poses of the girls. You know already, these are not to be messed with!
😍 That it takes place in space. In a school. It isn't until we go outside that you really get that this is outside. Until then it just looks your average high school, well, OK, maybe not average given the violence and such.
😍 The friendship between these three girls and how they were thinking, or well, Stab making up names for their crew. Ranging from Cosmic Daggers to The Planet Stompers. I loved how they stick together no matter what situation and are there for each other.
😍 Loved that Agatha wanted to be named Stab, and frankly, I don't blame her. Stab just fits better with her!
😍 Loved seeing how everyone in the school looked. Sometimes with graphic novels people don't really stand out and are just a bit same-ish, but in this one? There are plenty of fun peeps to see with wild hairs, fun clothes, various body-sizes, and more.
😍 The space suit design of the kids was awesome. Not your standard suit but something else entirely.
😍 That Earth is dead... or is it. I was saddened when we learn of Earth demise.. but just like many sci-fi books there is a twist. Oh yes!
😍 The ending and what was revealed there! That just made me smile and I am definitely rooting for our characters and curious for the next book. Because if they get THAT finished? There are so many new possibilities.
😍 The art was fantastic. Even though space can be a bit bland, the author went with bright and fun colours.
😍 Loved how there was plenty of flirting, furtive glances, and some more!
😍 My fav girl quickly became Yuki! I love strong woman, and with Yuki that is literally the case as she has lots of muscles. Plus, I love that, unlike the other two she stayed mostly normal. XD Though she is there if her friends need her.
😍 I have so many questions on the mysterious student council! I hope that we see more of it in the next volume.

😶 It just felt a bit, especially in the beginning, as if I should have read an earlier volume, while this one is clearly the first one. There were just a few bits here and there that made me feel like I missed out. Graphic novels are good at that, I know when I started reading them years ago it was quite a struggle at times. Manga is a bit easier in that, they at least give you an introduction.

But as you can see, just one little point that was a small issue at the beginning, as soon as I got in the story it was all fine! I cannot wait for the next volume and I hope we see a bit more of the world outside of the school. I know they live in dorms, but you can't seriously mean there is nothing else, right? Plus, with that ending? I Just need more!

“Space Trash Vol. 1” is a fun and colorful read perfect to read in one sitting. I was completely into the story and was a bit disappointed when the book was over. I can’t wait to read the second volume!

I really enjoyed seeing the diverse characters and how everybody looked and acted different and how they were portrayed. Another thing I really liked were the bright colors that were used. The colors matched very well to the story.

I hope to learn more about the three main characters (especially about Una!) in the next volume. I think the story will continue to be very interesting and a lot will happen that I am not prepared for!

And thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for this EARC!

THIS IS SO COOL!! I love the vibe of this graphic novel and I can't wait to read more!! It is very much almost like, a girls reform school on the moon, except it is run by non-sentient robot teachers so the students are basically alone. The girls form gangs and its basically a bunch of queer girl gangs trying to figure out how to fix a space ship to return to Earth.

Space Trash is a new graphic novel about a future off earth and girls in high school. Three girls must band together to fight rival gangs and the weird school system.

I had trouble connecting with the characters here. I liked the illustrations a lot here but the story was not what I expected.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel is really enjoyable! Three girls living in a boarding school on the moon find out that what they're being taught about earth is a lie. The world building is fantastic, the characters are fun, and the plot is intriguing. I'm very excited for future installments of this series.

Space Trash was SO CUTE!!!! I genuinely loved every character. The setting itself is inventive and fun, while the relationships formed between each character felt tender and real. I loved how unabashedly queer the whole thing was--it was truly heartwarming to dive headfirst into a story full of fun sapphics. I'm already looking forward to reading more from this series, and that mixtape at the end had me swooning. So precious and very enjoyable!!

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. The story follows teenage girls in space since earth is apparently no longer inhabitable. I enjoyed the art and the storyline of this graphic novel and I look forward to the next one.