JANE FOSTER & THE MIGHTY THOR #2 hits your local comic book store on July 6th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you!
About the issue: When Jane and Odin find a clue steeped in unknown magic, they turn to Doctor Voodoo for help finding Thor – and learn of an interdimensional threat that will require more than Thor’s strength to combat. Meanwhile, Rúna cuts a Midgardian vacation short to help the warriors of Asgard hold off their enemies’ assault on the Golden Realm. But why do their enemies seem to know something Sif doesn’t?
The issue is by writer Torunn Grønbekk and artist Michael Dowling, with colors by Jesus Aburtov, and letters by Joe Sabino. The cover is by Ryan Stegman, JP Mayer, and Romulo Fajardo Jr.
Check out the JANE FOSTER & THE MIGHTY THOR #2 preview below:
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Welcome to Self-Published Spotlight, a regular interview column where I will be highlighting self-published comics and the creators and small print publishers who make them.
My first exposure to Jason Beirens amazing linework was Deep Forest. I met Jason through the Cartoonist Kayfabe Ringside Seats fan group, and was right away enamored with his intricate line work and energetic pages and panels. His drawings just feel like they were created with pens and pencils that never stop moving. Jason is in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign for his latest project, THE WONDERFUL GROTESQUE, a continuation of the world and story started in Deep Forest. Jason and I sat down and chatted over a few days all about his past, present and future in comics and creating. Check out the chat below and make sure you go and support the campaign for THEWONDERFUL GROTESQUE, you will not be disappointed.
Monkeys Fighting Robots: Alright, so my first question, what’s your comic book origin? How did you get into comics?
Jason Beirens: My older brother is 11 years older than me, he joined the army when I was 9 came back when I was 13, and brought about 4 short boxes of comics back with him. X-men, daredevil, Conan, etc. mostly Marvel, some DC, and a few indies. I devoured them, I was a comic strip kid before that, been drawing since before I can remember, but that was when everything shifted from Garfield to Wolverine.
MFR: I find it interesting how comic strips still figured into our generation. I’m 44 and comic strips were my first sequential art reads too. I don’t know if that’s true anymore. I don’t see strips being that prevalent in pop culture anymore.
JB: Comic strips are sadly a dying art, I guess a changing art, the webcomic was huge for a minute, but even that is going in a different direction.
MFR: So when did you decide you wanted to create your own comics? Was there a specific moment, book or creator that sparked it?
JB: I always wanted to and had lots of false starts, I mean a lot. I have always had a million ideas in my head, but life gets in the way of living. It’s just been the last few years that I’ve made time. the two creators that really made me want to create were Mike Allred and Rob Liefeld. Both are very energetic artists in very different ways.
Art by Jason Beirnes
MFR: I love Allred and Liefeld too. And I love that you find influence in such different creators, they are almost polar opposites in styles. What was it about Allred and Liefeld you found inspiring? What specifically did you take away from each of those creators?
JB:Liefeld it was the detail, all the little tick marks, it was the insane poses, the designs of the costumes and weapons. It was what every 13-year-old boy wants to see. Now with Allred, it was the clean line, the amazing designs, the stories and characters, the world of Madman with the robots, mad science and monsters it was incredible.
MFR: What was your first published work? And what made you say “Oh THIS is the one”?
JB: Grayhat. The collection should be in my doorstep soon too. The story told itself in a lot of ways. Especially towards the end. So it told me, it was the one. The characters did what they wanted, The bird witch was the main bad guy until she acted the way she acted, the big bad, was supposed to be silent and a lot weirder looking until it started talking and became more traditional looking. The last two issues so 58 pages were written, latex out, penciled and inked in a 40-hour work week. The job I had was closing up shop, it was phone tech support, so most of the calls were being diverted from my site, so I sat and worked on Grayhat, so the story and circumstance made it say, “this is the one”.
Art by Jason Beirens
MFR: Wow. That’s awesome. Was the situation similar for your current Kickstarter campaign, The Wonderful Grotesque?
JB: Unfortunately not, I will stay up later, or take a few minutes from lunch at work, etc. stealing time essentially to work on this story. I can usually get a page done in an hour from start to finish. But fortunately, I am completely done with the Wonderful Grotesque. I am about half done with the follow up too.
MFR: How long do you want The Wonderful Grotesque to be?
JB: The whole story will be about 70 pages when all 3 are together. It’s a series of 3 one-shots that aren’t one-shots, so the first was Deep Forest, this one is The Wonderful Grotesque, and the last one is Tyrant Goliath. When collected it will be Incursion of the Ghastly Creatures. But Wonderful Grotesque is 22 pages of a robot and a vampire fighting Lovecraftian monsters. I’m calling them sluggoths.
MFR: When does the campaign end? And when does the campaign end?
JB: So the campaign ends on 7/17. As far as reaching me, it’s horribly out of date and I need to fix that, but you can hit the Birdstacking Bigcartel page. Honestly, the best way is to email me, at jbeirens@hotmail.com and just let me know what you want.
WHERE STARSHIPS GO TO DIE #2 hits your local comic book store July 13th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.
About the issue: In a near-future ravaged by climate change, an African astronaut leads a desperate deep sea salvage mission to recover the wreck of humanity’s first interstellar starship. What he finds instead is a graveyard of the wrecks of impossible space missions that never reached their goal….and the mysterious entity that stopped them.
The series is by writer Mark Sable and artist Alberto Locatelli, with colors by Juancho!, and letters by Rob Steen. The cover is by Jeremy Haun and Nick Filardi.
Check out the WHERE STARSHIPS GO TO DIE #2 preview below:
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The end to DC Comics’ Batman/Catwoman isn’t flashy or exciting. It doesn’t seek to wow or to leave you on the edge of your seat. No, Batman/Catwoman #12 is a simple ending. Writer Tom King, artist Clay Mann, colorist Tomeu Morey, and letterer Clayton Cowles bring this epic in for a quiet landing. They find beauty in the commonplace moments in the long romance of the Bat and the Cat.
Writing
Batman/Catwoman has always been about the juxtaposition between the mundane and the bombastic. We focus just as much – perhaps even more so – on the home life of our protagonists as we do on the fight sequences and supervillains. King spends the majority of this issue in the intimate, out-of-costume moments between these characters. Even when Batman is in the cowl and trying to put down an enemy, the spotlight is on Selina’s casual discussion with him from the sidelines. And though King allows himself a storytelling sin – he presses the “undo button” on a development from earlier in the series in a way that’s mischievous and self-aware – he still uses his lyricism, his humor, and his incredible ability to elevate big moments by understating them to bring us a moving and satisfying ending.
Art
Mann’s art is stunning. There’s a raw sexuality to it. As Bruce and Selina stand at the altar, they look good and they know it. But there’s a playfulness to the art as well. As Selina and Helena fight at the dinner table, Mann depicts a cat chasing a mouse through the gutters of these pages. It’s a metaphorical representation of the undercurrents of the scene. At the end of one of these pages, instead of having a final panel, Mann has the dinner table jut into the bottom of the page. It stretches far and Helena sits at the end of it, looking small and distant. That’s almost certainly exactly how she feels in that moment, too. Mann adds layers upon layers to the storytelling, all while having fun through his page layouts and panel borders.
Coloring
Generally speaking, Batman/Catwoman #12 is a comic that refuses to be dark. Even in the tense conversations between Selina and Helena, set against a grey and black backdrop, we get gutters that are colored to look like bright green wrapping paper. Similarly, Bruce and Selina dress in all black for a special occasion. They look chic and enigmatic, but they’re in a scene that’s almost entirely colored in hot pink. The few moments that do come off as dark, though, don’t feel gloomy. Morey makes these scenes feel intimate and candlelit. Ultimately, this is a romance story, and Morey never lets us forget that.
Lettering
There’s a smoothness to a lot of the dialogue in this issue. Cowles leads you across each page with word balloons that naturally flow into one another. But this rhythm gets interrupted while Batman battles a villain. Our eyes whip from one side of the page to the other to keep up with what’s going on. Cowles has us mimic the movement of Batman being tossed around by his enemy. The following scene shows two people relaxing in the sun. Cowles treats this dialogue completely differently. Our eyes do very little work, often not even needing to move from side to side as the word balloons tumble down in thick columns. Cowles’ knack for making us imitate a character’s motions (or lack thereof) is uncanny.
Verdict
DC Comics’ Batman/Catwoman #12 doesn’t hit you with dynamic action or dramatic epiphanies. Instead, it leads you so gently to the end of the road you almost forget the journey is over. This creative team has delivered a gorgeous and nuanced final chapter that fits perfectly into this series that has always been more interested in the mundane than in superheroics. Batman/Catwoman #12 is out from DC Comics June 28th at a comic shop near you!
From original series creator Mike Mignola and artist Gabriel Hernandez Walta (The Vision, Sentient) comes a tense and mysterious comic chapter in Hellboy And The B.P.R.D.: Old Man Whittier. Featuring colors from Dave Stewart and letters by Clem Robins, this one-shot is the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and great humor that the Hellboy universe is known for.
“Trouble runs in the Whittier family! When Catherine Whittier learns she’s inherited the family home, she knows better than to go back alone, and Hellboy’s experience with the family (in Hellboy: The Whittier Legacy) makes him the perfect one to make sure any unkind spirits are at rest. Because in a house with a history like this, “plot” can mean more than just a family graveyard.”
Writing & Plot
Mike Mignola’s script for Hellboy And The B.P.R.D.: Old Man Whittier is the perfect blend of slow-burn supernatural mystery and clever character comedy that readers come to expect from great Hellboy comics. Like a mix of Tales From The Crypt and The X-Files, this issue on its face is just a good ol’ haunted house investigation that predictably ends up in some occult places. This one-shot is a direct sequel to the 2010 story Hellboy: The Whittier Legacy, but there’s no reason to worry if you haven’t read it. Like most Hellboy universe stories, this comic fills in the gaps well enough that readers can jump straight in and understand the plot’s context without being left out. The comic’s engaging plot is perfectly paced, steadily increasing the feeling of unease as the pages are turned and making revelations feel profound and well-earned. Mignola’s ear for dialogue seems only to have improved as the years have gone by. The conversations between HB and Catherine Whittier work as compelling pieces of exposition and discovery while still feeling natural. Mignola’s comedic timing? As perfect as ever. This is a stellar one shot that will be a real treat for Hellboy readers.
Art Direction
The signature visual aesthetic of the Hellboy universe is brought to life in Hellboy And The B.P.R.D.: Old Man Whittier by the fantastic Gabriel Hernandez Walta. The Eisner Award winner brings his eye for design and composition to this one-shot and it pays off wonderfully. His character animations and in-panel acting bring the reader into the book seamlessly. Walta’s use of focus in how he composes his panels here create an increasing sense of unease while HB and Catherine explore this abandoned house – and makes for great, fast paced supernatural action when the Right Hand Of Doom starts swinging. Walta’s interpretation of Mignola’s script perfectly nails down the blend of supernatural horror, mystery, and well-timed humor that Hellboy stories are best known for.
The colors by longtime Hellboy universe colorist Dave Stewart are, unsurprisingly, aesthetically spot-on. Stewart utilizes a foggy, dusty overcast on a slightly muted palette throughout the whole comic. He completes the atmosphere of this comic and its “abandoned house with a crypt” setting with the usual style of vivid yet appropriately softened artistic approach. The letters are from yet another Hellboy veteran in Clem Robins. His work here sees the same font used in most other comics in this universe. There’s a distinct hand-lettered scrawl to his work that lends itself to the reading experience perfectly. Overall, this is a fantastically put together comic on the visual end.
Verdict
Hellboy And The B.P.R.D.: Old Man Whittier is yet another stellar one-shot in a series chock-full of stellar one-shots. Mike Mignola pens a script that blends investigative mystery, haunted-house horror, and that signature brand of Hellboy humor all into one entertaining script. The visuals from Gabriel Hernandez Walta and Dave Stewart nail the aesthetic both for the Hellboy universe and as a horror comic. Great character acting, steadily paced composition, and perfectly timed reveals all make this issue a lesson in how to craft a great single comic book. Be sure to grab this chapter when it hits shelves on June 29th!
Comics mega-talent Liam Sharp (Green Lantern, Wonder Woman) embarks on a quest through time with bio-mechanics and magic at his side in Starhenge #1. While certainly a bit of a dense read that will be hard to parse on a first reading, this opening chapter offers wonders to those who decide to engage with its layered storytelling. With an intricate script and absolutely medium-defining visuals, this issue will be a massive treat to those looking for an adventurous new take on some classic mythology.
“A future Merlin travels to 5th-century Britain to prevent monstrous time-traveling killer robots from robbing the universe of magic, and Amber Weaver’s lively present-day narrative reveals how she becomes drawn into a war across time!”
Writing & Plot
Liam Sharp plays with old English mythology and science fiction in a combination probably never seen before in Starhenge #1. This book’s narrative dances from England in the time of the Saxons to the edges of space in a far future, and back into present in a flurry of story beats and conceptual exposition. The pieces of story taking place in the distant folklore-ish past are minimal at this point, but it is alluded to that there will be much more to come. The present day material, following a teen Wiccan on her visit to America, is lightly entertaining but easily the least interesting aspect of the book. Aside from her knowledge of pagan magic she’s earned from her parents, her connection with he rest of the story would feel a bit vague if not for the near-overwhelming amount of exposition from her perspective. See, Amber also functions as the story’s narrator for this chapter. Unfortunately, her dialogue/narrative voice comes off as tonally jarring to the point of annoying. There’s some charm to her words, but in the end this narration feels like sticking a James Gunn script in the middle of a production of King Lear. Some may enjoy the very teenager-ish dialogue over the story, but it really didn’t do much for me.
The future material though, where distant humanity wars with a bio-machine race, is the most fascinating bit of the story. The concepts are familiar yet crafted in combinations we’ve not seen them before. Like a mix of Jodorowsky’s work, Dune, and The Terminator, Sharp’s story here is massively distant yet full of history and familiar conflicts. His dialogue here trends on the more grandiose that one may expect from a massive sci-fi epic. It’s truly wondrous stuff to behold, and seeing how Sharp wraps it all back around into Arthurian myth is nothing short of awesome. This issue can be a bit much to put together, but is truly rewarding for those who decide to stick with Sharp’s narrative here.
Art Direction
As cool as the story and concept may be, most will be too busy gawking at the visuals when they pick up Starhenge #1. Liam Sharp is already known for his incredible talent, with his work on Wonder Woman, Batman: Reptilian, and Green Lantern with Grant Morrison all being some of the most outstanding looking comics of the last decade. So when I say that this stands head and shoulders above those titles, it isn’t said lightly. Sharp crafts a visual storytelling experience that is difficult to critique as comic book art. His work here feels similar to Dave McKean’s Vertigo art in the late 80’s/early 90’s. Starhenge feels like taking a stroll through a conceptual art gallery that just happens to be telling a sequential story. Each of Sharp’s pages is filled with his beautiful painted art style that is breathtaking from the first page to the last. Even the more subdued sequences following Amber and her boyfriend are like stunning portraits capturing a still moment in life. The panels set in the mythical past feel like museum pieces that some jerk put word bubbles over. The panels following our futuristic successors range from an H.R. Geiger level of bio-mechanical disturbing beauty to vast and wonderous pieces of science fiction art.
Sharp’s painted colors are vibrant and atmospherically perfect, with each sequence’s palette shifting and suiting its setting while still transitioning smoothly from one set to another. His panel direction doesn’t follow conventional comics rules either. Close-up panels will interrupt a page sequence with an important or shocking detail that may throw some readers. Many panels are just shifting focuses of the same images, with the intention of impressing upon the reader a specific tone or sense of detail. It’s brilliant stuff, and yet another aspect of this book that makes the visual experience stick out so much as a comic.
Verdict
Starhenge #1 feels like a timeless artifact of comic storytelling. Liam Sharp’s narrative may have a bump or two, but its ultimate execution is grandiose and fascinating. His art, unsurprisingly, is absolutely astounding, landing among one of the best and most unique visual experiences in a comic in recent memory. Do yourself a favor and pick up this first chapter when it hits shelves on July 6th!
DARK SPACES: WILDFIRE from IDW Publishing hits your local comic book store on July 20th, but thanks to the publisher, Monkeys Fighting Robots has a five-page preview to share with our readers. The five-part series is written by Scott Snyder, with art by Hayden Sherman, Ronda Pattison drops the color, and you will read Andworld Design’s letter work.
About the issue: Six weeks into the slow burn of the historic Arroyo Fire, a crew of women from an inmate firefighting program are risking everything on the frontlines when their newest recruit – a white-collar convict with a deep network of shady dealers – discovers they’re mere miles from her crooked former associate’s mansion. When she proposes a plan to abandon their duties and hunt for riches under cover of smoke and ash, the team must decide if they’re ready to jeopardize their one sure path back to normalcy for a shot at a score that would change their lives… But is this a flicker of fortune or a deadly trap?
Check out the preview below.
More on the series from IDW Publishing: Desperate people, desperate situations. In Dark Spaces, Snyder explores the decisions made—and irreversible actions taken—when the walls are closing in, when knuckles are white and teeth are bared. During their sentence at a women’s prison, four fearless inmates have taken up the intense job of firefighting under their captain, Ruby. When opportunity strikes during an intense forest fire, this crew of badass women decide to seize it, together. Will this crew of daring female firefighters walk away with ruby-lined pockets or burn up in flames?
Jurassic World Dominion has been described as the end of an era, but those usually include something great. This conclusion of the Jurassic World series barely makes an impression and wastes any potential it had to be incredible. This year has been a good year for legacy returns, and Jurassic Park’s legacy cast manages to keep this latest entry entertaining and watchable. Sadly, Jurassic World Dominion mostly centers on an uninteresting plot and likable characters with little development.
After the conclusion of Fallen Kingdom, it seemed that a follow-up would handle the negative impacts of humans coexisting with dinosaurs. This is not what you have with Jurassic World’s exit. Currently, Dominion is the biggest disappointment of the year for me, but at least the film includes some breathtaking visuals. Collin Trevorrow returns to direct and co-write alongside Emily Carmichael. Jurassic World Dominion revolves around our group of survivors coming together to take out a swarm of locusts.
Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard return to their roles as Owen Grady and Claire Dearing. Isabella Sermon joins them as she returns to play Maisie Lockwood, who has the most development out of any character. As mentioned earlier, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum return as Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm. The film seems to thrive when the legacy stars are present, which makes the time spent with Owen and Claire dreadful.
Owen and Claire have started a family with Maisie, but Jurassic World Dominion expects you to care without allowing the dynamic to breathe first. An earlier development from the series revolved around Claire wanting a family, but this is mishandled due to the film’s pacing. Claire does have her most compelling arc during this film, so that keeps you invested in her role as a mother. The issue is that the chemistry between her and Owen is gone. Howard and Pratt have lost their on-screen chemistry, but some would argue they never had it.
If there’s one thing Jurassic World Dominion succeeds at, it overstays its welcome by an additional 30 minutes or more. When your conflict centers on locusts and not the concept of dinosaurs coexisting with humans, then this end of an era talk becomes just another sequel. The film has nothing at stake, which lessens any kind of threat our protagonists are faced with. In fact, Owen crashes a plane and walks away without a single scratch. There are many instances where characters appear to have become David Dunn.
I truly can’t understand how Maisie has the most progression during this movie. Sermon is terrific in the role, but the decision to give her the most growth doesn’t work. Owen, who acts as her father, is the same person he was during the last film. Even our legacy stars have very little to grow attached to when it relates to their current life situations. Trevorrow’s lifeless direction is this film’s biggest setback.
Any opportunity to build tension is paced horribly, while also stepping on it with humorous dialogue. Owen has a moment over frozen ice that is rushed through, a clear chance to build tension. Moments that do nothing to further the plot will drag on though. Performances aren’t terrible, Goldblum is the scene-stealer each time. His presence adds a cushion to the awful experience.
Howard and Pratt deliver some of the worst performances in the series, but still manage to stay on the side or serviceable. The combination of practical effects and CGI is done very well. It’s just a shame the dinosaur threat takes a backseat during this latest outing. Biosyn’s return is a complete misfire. Dodgson, who hadn’t appeared since the original film, doesn’t come off as an intimidating force. His return feels like a cheap nostalgia tactic.
His return is squandered in a manner that reinforces Nedry’s comments that no one cares about Dodgson. Jurassic World Dominion does feature the best third-act battle out of the trilogy. If you can make it through the first two acts, the dinosaur battle will be very rewarding. Michael Giacchino’s score is wasted on this lukewarm exit for the Jurassic Park series. Audiences will enjoy the callbacks to the original score, but the score’s impact is undermined by the ridiculous plot unfolding on screen.
Jurassic World Dominion just couldn’t provide a reason for its existence outside of needing to fulfill a contractual obligation. While entertaining, the conclusion to this trilogy feels more interested in being a carnage highlight reel. I imagine the franchise will return in the future, so there’s time to construct a more compelling narrative for audiences to engage in. Despite the stunning visuals, solid effects, and serviceable performances, Jurassic World Dominion will be remembered as one of the worst entries.
Published by Vault Comics in 2019, Ram V and Sumit Kumar’s historical horror mini-series These Savage Shores is a complex tapestry of genre-blending. One part mythical monster horror, another part historical colonialism narrative piece, and finally also a romance comic, this acclaimed comic is as insightful as it is bold. Along with colorist Vittorio Astone and letterer Aditya Bidikar, V and Kumar craft an 18th century tale based on the slow overtaking of India by the East India Company and the British Crown from a perspective we had very seldom seen in the comics – or any – medium here in the West. The careful mixing of outright horror, political commentary, and love story come to a head in the closing sequence of the comic’s penultimate 4th issue. Hitting all of the story’s core ideas in a flawless composition of terror and pain, the ending panels and striking final page come together to form a chilling, powerful moment inside an already astounding series.
As an immortal shapeshifter known as a Raakshas, Bishan is no stranger to the conflicts of men. However, there is a gravity to this war that feels different to our main character. The conflict at hand is between a faction of India who have taken arms alongside Britain and the East India company, against those who would retain India’s trade and independence. Bishan, naturally, is on the side of the latter. While I’m certainly not the one to make any kind of commentary on Indian politics or history, it’s fair to say this war would reach far into the future for how this country is acknowledged in the world. The implications in the narrative would have the reader believe that this war is in many ways one for the soul of a country and its people. The sequence we’re addressing is that entire argument in a 2-page, eleven-panel spread.
Bishan returns to the home of his human master and friend in Vikrampura tattered, bloody, and worn from fighting a losing war. He’s spent much of the last several months in his bestial form, slaughtering enemy soldiers in guerilla ambushes and living the very legend of this land’s nights being “full of teeth.” Leaving for war also meant leaving behind the woman he loves – Kori, a dancer and arguably the one thing tethering Bishan to his remaining humanity. Giving into his brutal nature and staying in the fields seeking vengeance upon his allies’ enemies has allowed for new horror from a new world to step in. Vampires from England, seeking revenge for one of their own who was killed by something far older and more dangerous, ride into Vikrampura. They do not find their quarry, but they do find his lover. This is all where the tragedy and heartbreak of this sequence lies. Killing her would be too easy. Robbing her of the sun and beauty of the daylight in her homeland? Tormenting Bishan by presenting his love in a form that will never know warmth or humanity again? By their standards, a much more effective punishment.
The sequence takes up the last two pages of issue #4. Bishan’s search for Kori takes him back to their Alada tree, a meeting place for the pair for years. Kumar draws it in the near distance as Bishan surveys it with a torch, its lightning-scorched and gnarled remains are all that is left of this monument – to the couple, and to the land itself. As he draws closer the layout shifts into a 6-panel grid. Each panel here is a piece of Bishan’s reaction to finally finding Kori – and realizing what has happened to her. Kumar perfectly frames the immortal’s reaction as his lover steps into the torchlight. Ram V and Sumit Kumar have built this chapter carefully enough that the reader should already know what Kori is now. Still, that doesn’t change the tension on the page as both we and Bishan see her for the first time since the end of this book’s war. A henna-painted leg steps into view. However, where once was the brown skin of an Indian woman has now been replaced by the lifeless pallor of a nocturnal immortal. The contrast of a traditionally Indian physical piece against an almost glowingly pale background made so stark by Vittorio Astone’s color work. Kori speaks to Bishan here, a punctuation on his recognition of his love as he sees her again. Then, the full weight of realization hits him in the following panels. Bishan’s torch hits the ground beside him, and he falls to his knees in tears.
The following page, and the final page of These Savage Shores #4, is the full reveal of Kori the vampire. Kumar and Astone’s representation of Ram V’s script here offers incredible complexity within the page’s four panels. Lori looks upon a kneeling Bishan with a mix of emotions. Love is still there, yes – but now it is joined by pity, and even slivers of anger and resentment. After all, Bishan losing himself to his primal nature while at war is what allowed this chain of events to occur. The second panel focuses on the bite marks and Kori’s new fangs, a shot that reinforces the undercurrent of sexual assault in regards to what she went through. She reaches out in the third panel, touching Bishan on the head before delivering her climactic dialogue line. As she has asked Bishan to recount “how he was made” dozens of times over as their relationship went on, so now does Kori after the violation and nightmarish transformation she has undergone. It’s yet another contrast, where something that once had a beautiful meaning and source behind it has soured into something corrupt. The final panel itself, taking up the bottom two-thirds of the page, shows Kori’s full form. Cloaked in black robes and pale skin and glowing, nocturnal eyes, the reader sees in full form what drove Bishan to his knees. The beauty of Kori’s form is still fully intact, just now with a terrifying meaning behind her change in appearance – and all of the unspoken horror she has gone through, and still will go through, because of her lover’s absence.
The main reason why this two page sequence at the end of These Savage Shores #4 is so effectively perfect is not just because of Sumit Kumar and Vittorio Astone’s immaculate detail and flawless composition – although those are major contributors. In truth, this sequence encapsulates everything this mini-series touches on thematically. These Savage Shores as a whole is about colonialism. Specifically, it is obviously about the colonial effect of Britain and the East India Company on the country of India. Vampires, shapeshifters, and mythology are primarily vehicles through which the sub textual aspects of the story are explored. The plot between Bishan and the vampires is a direct parallel to the political conflict throughout the story. England’s vampires are an old and powerful threat. One of their number makes the mistake of coming to India – a much older world full of things fare more ancient than vampires – and treating it as they would the new world of England. This first vampire on the scene is then killed by Bishan for his hubris. More vampires arrive in retaliation, thus what happens with Kori.
Both Bishan and Kori’s fates are entwined with India itself. Yes, the pair will live on after their encounters and Bishan’s war – but nothing will be as it was, and the haunting reminders will with the couple for all time. India’s steady colonization by the British is much the same. Yes, India still exists and aspects of it are the same as they have always been. However, the subjugation of its populace, trivialization of its culture, and the loss of overall autonomy the country once had over itself will leave the nation scarred and changed. Even now, decades after India has regained its independence, the century of British occupation, and even longer as a “trade partner” with The East India Co., has left indelible marks upon its culture and how India is viewed in the world. These Savage Shores is a narrative about the loss of something an ancient, thriving nation once had and – in ways I’m not equipped to discuss – how that loss was in some ways self-inflicted. The final two pages of These Savage Shores #4 are this comic series’ thematic core made manifest. This is a perfect sequence in one of the medium’s best stories of the past 20 years.
Battle Action cover art work Credit: Rebellion Publishing
New from Rebellion, the publisher behind 2000AD, comes Battle Action: a hardcover, one-shot war comic born out of the history of British comics. More than a homage to the bygone days of action comics, this new special is entirely written by Garth Ennis. It features some of the most extraordinary artistic talents currently in the business. This anthology comic features characters that were created decades ago but will be brand new to a lot of the readers.
Full of violence, cunning, and meta-fiction, Battle Action has an unsurprising surface level, but the undertones, and one story in particular, will definitely be more than you might be expecting.
Battle Action: Johnny Red Credit: Rebellion Publishing
A Little Bit of History
There are very few genres within comics that manage to maintain consistent popularity, the superhero genre being an exception. Horror drifts in and out of fashion, and genres such as romance died out, with the few attempts to rekindle the flame barely making a mark in the mainstream. However, all genres have a following within the small press, and whatever you are into, you can find graphic storytelling to fit your needs. However, in British shops, War comics have always held a spot on the shelf. From the early 1960s, with the publication of Commando War Stories In Pictures, war comics have proven to be popular, and a range of titles have come and gone over the decades. However, Commando is still being published to this day.
Another tradition in British comics are weekly anthologies, from those aimed at younger readers, such as the Beano and the Dandy, to more adult and famous titles such as 2000AD. The war comics were no different, with titles such as Warlord telling the adventures of numerous characters week after week. Battle Picture Weekly first appeared in March 1975 and contained stories set mainly during the first and second world wars, with Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun’s Charley’s War proving to be one of the most enduring and, in Ennis’ opinion, finest comic strips of all time.
In 1977, Battle merged with another title, Action, to form Battle Action. Action was another anthology title but contained a wider range of genres and inspiration. The superb Hook Jaw was introduced within the pages of Action along with BlackJack and Kids Rule OK! Action was born in the era of punk rock and the aura of anarchism sweeping Britain in the mid-1970s. It was not accepted by polite society and managed to ruffle all the wrong feathers leading to some self-censorship and a final merging with Battle.
Ennis is no stranger to war stories or writing politically charged, based in reality, comic strips. His first story was set on the streets of Belfast during the height of the Irish Troubles. He then went on to re-invent the Unknown Soldier for DC-Vertigo before writing Weird War Tales and War Stories for DC. Next, he wrote Phantom Eagle for Marvel and more War Stories for Avatar Press before writing a collection of various war-based adventures for Titan Publishers and Aftershock Comics, which brings us to the new Battle Action special from Rebellion.
Battle Action: Hellman V Glory Rider Credit: Rebellion Publishing
Opening Shots
Battle Action contains seven short stories featuring characters who appeared in the original run. The opening story, Johnny Red, is bright and bold with intricate ink work from Keith Burns. Jason Wordie’s colors reflect the coldness of the conflict and the deception inherent in the narrative. There is realism to the visuals, but Wordie plays with the environment to create emotional context. Rob Steen squeezes the conversation-heavy dialogue into the landscape, enforcing the visual style that is both 1970s nostalgic while also being very modern comic storytelling. The wide, thin panels suit the aviation action, and the fine lines of the aircraft easily slice through the panel borders creating the grander scale of the aerial conflict.
Rob Steen’s typewriter-style font in the caption boxes emphasizes the documentary storytelling style in The Sarge. The strip reads like a soldier’s letter from the front, and this is used to great effect in the script and the visual design. P J Holden’s artwork is extremely detailed and has a heightened dramatic flair as if it represents an over-the-top representation of the actual events. Again, it is the exaggeration of memory, the focus on specific details at the cost of surrounding elements. The decision to print this strip in stark black and white refers back to the original comics and to the single-mindedness of memory recall. It is very ‘matter of fact,’ which is essential in this story.
Chris Burnham’s work on Crazy Keller is much more comical and expressionistic. There is a ludicrous element to the tale being told, which is reflected in the artwork, with its floating heads and blend of classic children’s comic language and over-the-top performances from the characters. Burnham draws humorous faces and exaggerated gestures, creating visual punchlines not always backed up by the script. Crazy Keller is Ennis writing a War story set in a Loony Tunes cartoon, and it is full of cheek and charm.
There is no escaping the Dirty Harry inspiration behind Dredger, but John Higgins’ masterful artwork will entirely occupy your journey through the twelve-page story. Complex layouts contain superb compositions and clever storytelling that almost negates the need for Rob Steen’s lettering. Sally Jane Hurst’s colors create tension on the page, instantly drawing the reader’s focus to specific panels, complicating the layouts but always benefiting the reading experience. Out of this anthology, Dredger is the most visually exciting, even if some of the narrative elements feel familiar in niggling ways rather than the nostalgic references that feature in all of the other stories.
Hellman V Glory Rider is a little too similar to the Johnny Red story, only with tanks. For some reason, the narrative lacks a hook unless tanks shooting tanks is all you look for in a story. Unfortunately, a touching moment between the heroes of each comic strip (for this is two classic comics merged into one) isn’t enough to make this story shine or even stand out against the other strips on offer. Mike Dorey’s artwork is reminiscent of 1970s war comics and wouldn’t seem out of place in the pages of Warlord or Commando, but it is overshadowed by the stories that precede and follow it. One of the downsides of anthologies is that good stories can fade into the background when placed alongside brilliance, and this is Hellman V Glory Rider’s unfortunate fate.
I’ll return to Kids Rule O.K., and instead skip to the final story, Nina Petrova and the Angels of Death, with Patrick Goddard’s artwork and Jason Wordie’s colors. The narrative follows a group of Russian bombers on a night raid and the triumph and tragedy that follows. This strip allows Ennis to touch on slightly different themes than the other stories, and the emotional impact of the action is more sincere. The story highlights the lack of strong female characters in the genre but demonstrates that nothing needs to be lost because of gender. Goddard’s fine line details bring the characters and aircraft to life, while Wordie’s colors make the pages stand out. The cold darkness of the night creates an imposing atmosphere which Wordie uses to his advantage to instill moments of shock or excitement in the narrative. The destruction is more visible within this story because of the contrasting color palette used; bright reds of flame leap out of the cold blues of the night.
The penultimate story in this anthology is perhaps the most exciting and interesting. It is definitely the story that stands out the most and takes a different approach to the nostalgia inherent throughout this entire comic. Kids Rule O.K. has an infamous past and is often cited as the story that caused the downfall of the Action title in the 1970s. In this new tale, Ennis and Kevin O’Neill decide to mix two styles and two narratives to capture the theme of the original comic strip but also the reaction to violence within British Comics at the time. By intercutting the comic strip with full-page splashes of conversation, minus any visible characters, Ennis is able to openly discuss the comics’ form and history in a way that seems natural and fitting for this anthology. The twelve-page story looks and reads like it was taken straight from the pages of Crisis, the comic where Ennis’ first story was published and references the 1980s and 1990s as much as it does the 1970s. This story, more than any in this anthology, is about the history of British comics and the general public’s perception of publishers, distributors, and creatives involved. Kids Rule O.K. is the most abstract of the comic strips, and some of the subject matter, for example, police brutality, is especially hard-hitting, being as relevant today as it was when the original strip first appeared. Kevin O’Neill’s artwork is perfect for this kind of story, and the banality of ‘reality’ heightens the excessiveness of the comic strip. Something is unsettling in Kids Rule O.K., and it’s not just the mindless violence perpetrated by the central character and the police response. It is a reflection of a different time that is unfortunately still relevant today.
Anthologies have always been a part of British Comics, and war stories have always found a place within the pages of these comics. Battle Action is a wonderful celebration of the genre and the perfect homage to the creators who made British Comics so popular. Ennis has an obvious love for this genre and understands why these characters were popular at the time, but the real genius is that he has made them relevant today without turning them into parody.
There are some clear standouts in this comic, as there are with all anthologies, and there are no real duds. The most impressive story is the Kevin O’Neill illustrated Kids Rule O.K., which seamlessly mixes nostalgia and social commentary to tell a tale of historical relevance. It is an essay about British Comics and the uphill struggle they face against a society that doesn’t understand or accept them.
Battle Action is an exciting read and more thought-provoking than you’d expect.
