Ministry of Space
| Ministry of Space | |
|---|---|
Cover of Ministry of Space vol. 1, March 2005, trade paperback collected edition. Art by Chris Weston.
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Image Comics |
| Schedule | Irregular |
| Format | Limited series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | April 2001 – April 2004 |
| Number of issues | 3 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) | Warren Ellis |
| Artist(s) | Chris Weston |
| Letterer(s) | Mike Heisler |
| Colorist(s) | Laura Martin |
| Creator(s) |
Warren Ellis Chris Weston |
| Collected editions | |
| Hardcover | |
Ministry of Space is a three-part alternate history mini-series written by Warren Ellis, published by American company Image Comics in 2001-2004. The book's art is by Chris Weston, and depicts retro technology in "British" style.
The story is set in an alternate history where soldiers and operatives of the United Kingdom reached the German rocket installations at Peenemünde ahead of the U.S. Army and the Soviets, and brought all the key personnel and technology to Britain, in a mirror of the real world's Operation Paperclip. Thus is created the Ministry of Space, whose mission is to develop British space technology and establish a firm foothold in space for Queen and Empire.
Elements of social commentary are present throughout the book, as is typical of Ellis' work, while the drama of the story is found in the lives of the first pioneers of space exploration (as in The Right Stuff). This social commentary is disguised in a snippet of dialogue here and a background detail in the art elsewhere, relying upon the readers' own observations to bring it to light.
Originally intended as a three-part monthly series, Ministry of Space was first released in May 2001. Delays prompted the release of issue #2 in September 2001 instead of June. The last issue finally saw print in April 2004, three years late. No specific reason has been given for the delays.
In his afterword to the series, Ellis speaks of how Ministry of Space came to be, after he found in his attic a lost, forgotten copy of the Dan Dare comic The Man From Nowhere, science fiction comics from the 1950s.
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