Review: DEVIL’S REIGN X-MEN #3 Gives the Kingpin a Frosty Ending

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Gerry Duggan has taken control of one of the most popular teams in comic books with the X-Men. He’s been building up his team issue by issue and showing the readers that it takes time to gel. This week, he gets to write Emma Frost in Devil’s Reign X-Men #3. Frost is not on Duggan’s team book, but she is a character that shows up from time to time in the title. With a whole mini series devoted to Emma, we get to see what Duggan can do with one of the most polarizing telepaths in comics. Joining Duggan on this issue is Phil Noto on pencils and colors and Cory Petit on letters.

WRITING

Gerry Duggan not only gets the privilege of writing Emma Frost this issue, but he also writes an underrated favorite character, Union Jack. The interaction between Emma and Union Jack is pleasant, even though the two characters clearly have different objectives. Duggan uses these opening pages to show us just how dangerous Emma Frost truly is. Even though Union Jack’s people are prepared for Emma, with a power dampening collar, she still finds a way to get out of her arrest. Duggan also allows us to see Emma’s softer side as she meets up with the young girl Isabelle from the previous issues. What works with the dialogue in these pages is how genuine it feels. Both Emma and Isabelle are written as smart characters, and when they speak to each other, they’re honest. Isabelle asks why she wasn’t mind wiped and Emma gives her the truth. Duggan does deliver a final blow to Kingpin from Emma that is one hundred percent in character for her. Duggan doesn’t have Emma pull any punches in her confrontation and solidifies her as a mutant you should never cross.

ART

The pencils and colors in this issue are done by Phil Noto. Noto’s pencils are clean and easy on the eyes. Action sequences flow nicely, like police officers hitting each other with their nightsticks. Emma’s escape is handled well, as Noto takes us panel by panel on how she gets out of her handcuffs. The panels of the police officers being mind controlled is eerie. Noto gives the officers smiles on their faces as they spray one another with bear mace. Noto’s pencils work well with the script and give the reader a smooth reading experience.

As mentioned above, the colors are also handled by Noto. The color palette for this issue is light and many of the background panels feature a bland peach color to them. Noto applies a nice red hue on the page as gas grenades fly from the officers as they squabble with each other. Noto’s colors shine most on the uniforms that people wear. Union Jack’s outfit has a nice contrast of dark blue and vibrant reds. As Emma leaves captivity, her red coat is eye catching.

Cory Petit does the lettering for this issue. Any X-Men issue that features a telepath features the classic mind link word balloon. Petit uses these throughout the issue as Emma talks to dogs or has people do her bidding. When there is an action sequence, Petit uses a “THWACK” to signify a punch has been thrown. It also allows us to see that Isabelle is a skilled fighter and can hold her own against Union Jack. As the fight takes place, when Isabelle lands a punch, the “THWACK” is diagonal and placed where the hit occurs. These little touches show the power behind each swing.

CONCLUSION

Devil’s Reign X-Men #3 is a satisfying conclusion to the mini-series. Gerry Duggan has proven that he has the ability to write any character in the X-Men universe. Phil Noto uses his artistic vision and brings us a realistic looking issue that is sure to wow fans. Devil’s Reign X-Men #3 is out at a comic shop near you!

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Marvel Comics Exclusive Preview: MOON KNIGHT #10

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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March 31, 2022

marvel comics exclusive preview moon knight

MOON KNIGHT #10 hits your local comic book store on April 6th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive five-page preview for you.

About the issue:
An assassin infiltrates the Midnight Mission, while another hidden enemy strikes at Moon Knight where he is most vulnerable. Attacked on two fronts, the Fist of Khonshu is put on the back foot– but that’s where he’s most dangerous!

The issue is by writer Jed MacKay and artist Alessandro Cappuccio, with colors by Rachelle Rosenberg, and letters by Cory Petit. The main cover is by Cory Smith and Rachelle Rosenberg.

Marvel’s Moon Knight TV series launched on Disney+ this week, starring Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector/Moon Knight.

Check out the MOON KNIGHT #10 preview below:

Are you reading MOON KNIGHT? Sound off in the comments!

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AfterShock Comics Exclusive Preview: WE LIVE: AGE OF THE PALLADIONS #2

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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March 31, 2022

aftershock comics exclusive preview we live age of the palladions

WE LIVE: AGE OF THE PALLADIONS #2 hits your local comic book store April 20th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.

About the issue:
Time has run out! The shield protecting Megalopolis 9 can fall at any moment. The future of the population is in the hands of the Palladions and the reconnection team, who come across an unexpected obstacle that can only be solved by spilling blood: the blood of an old friend.

Destiny puts Tala and Hototo in the way of a hurtful crossroad that asks them to break their promises. Sometimes hearts are forced to be silent.

Meanwhile, Nesbo and his nomad caravan face the hostility of the New Nature. Hope might be all that they have on their side and the only thing capable of guiding them to a safe port.

Decisions and paths can’t be walked back, and storms can’t be stopped.

Even when knowing that everything might be lost, forward is the only way to go.

The series is by brothers Inaki & Roy Miranda, with colors by Eva De La Cruz, and letters by Dave Sharpe. The cover is by Inaki Miranda.

Check out the WE LIVE: AGE OF THE PALLADIONS #2 preview below:

Have you been reading WE LIVE? Sound off in the comments!

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Review: War and Peace in STEP BY BLOODY STEP #2

By

Zac Owens

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Step By Bloody Step Spurrier Image Comics

From the first page of Image Comics’ Step By Bloody Step #2, something is evident: A storm is brewing on the horizon. Writer Si Spurrier, artist Matias Bergara, and colorist Matheus Lopes might not have dialogue or words in their toolbox to tell their story, but that doesn’t stop their storytelling from being crystal clear. With the return of this incredible silent comic, we’re introduced to the stakes and obstacles at play in this narrative.

Story

Step By Bloody Step #1 familiarized us with the world these characters inhabit. The young girl and the armored giant we follow cut their way through fantastical landscapes, populated with strange creatures. In that time, Spurrier did a ton of worldbuilding. Now, with Step By Blood Step #2, Spurrier begins to flesh out the plot. There are dark forces that are chasing our protagonists, and that seems to be why they’re unyielding in their journey. We don’t know a ton about these new baddies, as the language they speak is written in undecipherable hieroglyphs, but Spurrier teaches us enough about them through their actions. They are a powerful force with a sprawling empire, intent on capturing our protagonists through whatever means necessary. Throughout Step By Bloody Step #2 we see them prey on the weak, sacrifice the innocent, and destroy natural beauties all for the sake of empire.

Art

Bergara creates a lovely juxtaposition between our two main characters. We see what it is that’s important to each of them through how they’re placed on each page. In one scene, the girl is playing on a beach. She’s splashing around in the water and having a good time. She’s front and center on the page, and the armored giant sits in the background looking small and unmoving. Then, when the giant begins prepping a raft for them to escape on, her big metal arms take up most of the page. The little girl is sequestered to smaller panels where she looks defiant and annoyed. She works on her own crafts, intent on making the most of her life on the run. You can see this theme throughout the whole issue. Whenever the little girl is having fun, the armored giant sinks into the background. Whenever danger rears its head, the girl is nowhere to be scene and the giant jumps to action. On some level you feel for the girl, whose fun feels essential to her survival, but you also can’t help but love this big hunk of metal that’s always stepping up to the plate when things get hairy.

Coloring

Again, Lopes helps you disappear into every scene. Each moment has such a distinct time and place to it. Step By Bloody Step #2 does more than just give us a sense of the temperature in each setting, though. This issue sees many moments of war and conquest. Lopes makes us feel like we’re in each battle. With the dark backgrounds starkly contrasted against buildings that are going up in flames, you almost want to hold your breath so you don’t get soot in your lungs. And as the issue progresses, we ping pong back and forth between moments of bright joy and scenes of destruction. Soon, each beautiful landscape, painted in vibrant colors, comes with the promise that smoke and flame will inevitably snuff it out. Lopes gives us stunning highs and horrible lows, all in such quick succession that it truly gives us a taste of the pandemonium that is war.

Verdict

Step By Bloody Step is experimental and potent. This is a creative team full of commanding storytellers who are absolutely up to the task of producing a comic series that has no words. Pick up your copy of Step By Bloody Step #2, out from Image Comics now, at a comic shop near you!

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Review: Meditations and Melodrama in THE SWAMP THING #11

By

Zac Owens

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The Swamp Thing #11 isn’t the first time this series has managed to have its cake and eat it too. This entire run reads like Jack Kirby writing slam poetry. It’s beautiful, soul-bearing, dramatic, and then suddenly pulpy and action-packed. The Swamp Thing returns for its second season with issue #11, and writer Ram V, artist Mike Perkins, colorist Mike Spicer, and letterer Aditya Bidikar get right back to the weird world of lyrical comic book mayhem.

Writing

V’s script is chock full of symbolism and melodrama. These are characters that are at the beginnings of big things. Their world is changing, because they are changing it. As such, the characters often give each scene a dramatic flare. There are pep talks, monologues, and flourishes galore. All they need is a pipe organ and a velvet cape to complete the look. While this would feel over the top in another writer’s hands, V absolutely nails the campy joy of old monster movies, while also balancing these moments with subtle, more meditative scenes. Our heroes are grounded by their tortured search for the right path, as our villains revel in the glory of their misdeeds. V fully embraces the quirks of the monster/horror genre. Sometimes, you can almost hear him giggling as excitedly as his baddies.

Art

Often, I’ll discuss the coloring and artwork of a piece in two separate sections. For The Swamp Thing #11, that’s practically impossible. Perkins and Spicer work so beautifully in tandem with one another, it’s often unclear where one’s work ends and the other’s begins. Some scenes have a warm, penciled look to them. The characters look like they’ve been lovingly rendered on an artist’s sketchpad. You can see the texture of the pencils in both Perkins’ linework and Spicer’s fleshy tones. The inviting nature of these scenes is juxtaposed against a backdrop of haunting blues and purples, full of twisted shapes right out of a Cronenberg flick. Each page is such a mix of feelings, it perfectly sums up Jennifer Reece’s own complicated feelings about the hero-monster at the heart of this story.

Even Tefé Holland is a paradox of a character. Perkins gives her a look that makes her seem stern and unsympathetic. But it’s Spicer’s colors – the pleasant greens, pinks, and skin coloring – that show the empathy and courage that lives inside her calloused exterior. And as we shift over to our antagonists, this art style is abandoned. Suddenly, the scenes feel cold and stark. Perkins’ work is still stunning, but it has a mechanical accuracy and precision to it. Spicer’s colors cease to blend in textured tones, and look to have harder edges to them. With these subtle differentiations, Perkins and Spicer make us immediately feel different about this new setting. We just know as we join our villains that something has changed, and some of the understated beauty of this world has gone away.

Lettering

As always, there are plenty of beautiful variations to Bidikar’s lettering. We have the light green word balloons, with straight edges, of Jason Woodrue’s speech. This reminds us that even if he looks human, he’s really a twisted devil in a skin suit. His own voice betrays him. But even in each character’s dialogue, Bidikar adds subtle differentiations to the lettering to show their mood. Whether it’s the wavy edges of a word balloon – matched with the lower case font inside it – that represents a stifled sob, or the jagged sides and scratchy letters of the lines of a character that’s gone feral, Bidikar knows how to make you hear each moment.

Verdict

DC Comics’ The Swamp Thing #11 is an incredible jump back into the saddle. This creative team continues to balance its poeticism with pulp and its subtle beauties with theatrical villainy. This series continues to mesmerize at each turn. Pick up your copy of The Swamp Thing #11, out from DC Comics March 29th, at a comic shop near you!

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Review: A Hulk For All Seasons in HULK: GRAND DESIGN #1

By

Hank Essman

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After two of Marvel’s premier teams were given the Grand Design treatment, the Hulk — the publisher’s jolly green ball of rage — is finally stepping up to the plate. But the other two Grand Design projects tried to weave decades of continuity into a single narrative, an approach that puts the Hulk at a serious disadvantage. Early on, The X-Men and Fantastic Four both had long, sustained runs by stable creative teams that formed the backbone of their respective histories. The Hulk… doesn’t. His early history is defined by being kicked from title to title, trying to find an angle that worked. Thankfully, cartoonist Jim Rugg isn’t trying to convince anyone that the Hulk was a product of careful planning. He’s here to show all the wild, weird places the Hulk has been. If there’s one constant, it’s that Bruce Banner will never, ever catch a break.

WRITING

Starting from the fateful nuclear accident that ruined Bruce Banner’s life, Hulk: Grand Design #1 covers the first twenty years of Hulk comics. Instead of a more traditional plot structure, the comic engages in a sort of narrative scrapbooking. The Hulk bounces between different phases in his life, each declared with small recreations of classic comic covers and splashy headers. A character dies only to reappear pages later, a caption box offhandedly mentioning that yes, they returned from the dead again. It all starts out a bit disorienting. Thankfully, it doesn’t take too long to settle into the comic’s unique rhythm and let it guide you from moment to moment.

ART

Rugg’s art is the main star of the issue, as is his ability to copy the styles of other artists. From Jack Kirby to Micky Demo to Herb Trimpe, Rugg changes the Hulk’s appearance to fit the different artists of each era. But more than just comics are referenced in this issue. An entire splash page is dedicated to the Hulk jumping out of a TV, against a collage of different advertisements for the Incredible Hulk TV show. A small aside notes a Trimpe Hulk drawing appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone. And Hulk’s first fight against Wolverine is drawn with colored pencils on notebook paper. Because what schoolkid wasn’t obsessed with that matchup? This Grand Design doesn’t feel like a tribute to the Hulk’s comics, as much as it does to the Hulk as a pop culture icon.

Special attention must be given to Rugg’s skill with expressions. For a comic focused on a green monster whose overriding emotion is rage, there’s a good amount of variety to the Hulk’s angered expressions. Sometimes he’s drawn with a squat face, clenched teeth, and small eyes turned condescendingly downward. Other times, his eyes take up the entire panel in vein-popping detail. It’s a Hulk that broods, simmers, rages, and screams. It’s those faces that keep the comic’s narrative from spiraling out of control — the Hulk’s cycle of loneliness and rage grounding tales of space aliens and nuclear mutants.

VERDICT

Hulk: Grand Design #1 is a history lesson as frantic as the character himself. Pieces of the character’s past are violently thrown together in a haze of fists and clenched teeth. But every so often the smoke clears, and in a moment of reflection, he realizes that he’s truly, hopelessly alone. Then the fighting kicks back in. And so the cycle continues. It always will.

Pick up Hulk: Grand Design #1 this Wednesday at your local comic book store, and check out our interview with Jim Rugg right here on Monkeys Fighting Robots!

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Adventure Films Continue To Excite Audiences

By

Don Draper

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March 26, 2022

The adventure genre has returned to the limelight with the release of two very different action-adventure films in 2022 involving an elaborate search for treasure: Uncharted and The Lost City.

Uncharted, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, is already a box office smash, grossing $226.4 million worldwide. The film features the adventures of the treasure hunter Nathan Drake, played by Holland, and Wahlberg’s character Victor Sullivan. The two protagonists set out on an adventure to find the lost fortune of the explorer Ferdinand Magellan.

Adventures in modern entertainment

It is no surprise to see adventure films achieve box office success. The genre is popular on various entertainment platforms. One example is the popularity of adventure plots in comic books, such as A Man Among Ye. Written by Stephanie Phillips and illustrated by Craig Cermak, it tells the tale of the pirate queen Anne Bonny and Mary Read.

The adventure element also features in the comic novel Sea of Sorrows by Rich Douek, which involves a search for sunken treasure at the bottom of the sea. In addition, the adventure genre has appeared in new and innovative forms, such as Live Gonzo’s Treasure Hunt on Betway live casino. The character of Gonzo, who is a Spanish explorer seeking the lost city of Eldorado, is based on the archetypal treasure hunter found in films and comic books. The treasure hunt game is the first live casino game to offer players the opportunity to play the game in virtual reality mode. Television shows about real-life treasure hunts, such as Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, have also proven popular. Evidently, the adventure genre continues to provide inspiration for innovations in the wider entertainment industry.

Indiana Jones returns for his swansong

Over the years, there have been many iterations and remakes of adventure films. Examples include Treasure Island, the 1950 adventure film based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel, and film franchises such as the Indiana Jones film series, which began with Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981. Indeed, the fifth and final film in the Indiana Jones saga will be released in 2023. This highlights the timeless nature of the genre, which continues to be enjoyed in adventure films to this day.

This was taken a step further by Romancing the Stone, a 1984 adventure film starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito, which added a romantic comedy element to the plot. The film was so successful at the box office that the actors returned the following year with The Jewel of the Nile.

The return of the rom-com adventure

This phenomenon of adventure-romance films continues to this day with the 2022 film The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Daniel Radcliffe. The film has been favorably compared with the aforementioned 80s adventure and romantic comedy classics, with Tatum hopeful that the film can represent a new version of the genre.

Bullock plays Loretta Sage, an author of adventure novels, who is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire while promoting her new book with Alan, a cover model played by Tatum. The billionaire, played by Radcliffe, is convinced she can help him find an ancient city’s lost treasure, which had featured in her latest novel.

Nevertheless, the film is an outlier in an industry that prefers masculine action-adventure heroes like those found in The Expendables film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, and a cast of macho action-movie veterans such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Chuck Norris.

The gamble pays off

The rom-com adventure has already exceeded expectations. The Lost City cost $68 million, a large sum for a film of this type, but made $31 million on the opening weekend, toppling The Batman from the number one position.

This achievement validates the decision of Paramount Pictures to take a punt on this film. ScreenRant has reported on a theory provided by Bullock explaining why big-budget romantic comedies are no longer made: “I think when everything swung toward the very masculine action-adventure, women got relegated to the arm piece or damsel in distress. Then, when rom-com came up, it was always like, ‘Oh, we’re going to let the women come back in, but it’s going to be this formula that we like, and it can’t be too edgy.” It is not always the case that female characters are sidelined in adventure storylines. The Adventureman comic series features a single mother as the main protagonist.

Evidently, the adventure genre remains highly popular in modern entertainment. The treasure hunter theme provides a ready-made plot template for filmmakers to follow. As we have seen, the adventure-romance storylines of the 1980s are making a comeback, which will perhaps lead to a shift from male-dominated action-adventure films in the future.

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Marvel Comics Exclusive Preview: HULK #5 — “SMASHSTRONAUT” Continues!

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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March 24, 2022

HULK #5 hits your local comic book store on March 30th, but thanks to Marvel Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive three-page preview for you.

About the issue:
“SMASHSTRONAUT” part 5 of 6!

As President Thunderbolt Ross rains down gamma-irradiated hell, Bruce Banner’s Starship Hulk experiment faces its toughest field test yet – this time, it might crack under the pressure. Bruce Banner thinks his control over the Hulk is now absolute…but what if he’s wrong?

The issue is by writer Donny Cates and artist Ryan Ottley, with inks by Cliff Rathburn, colors by Frank Martin, and letters by Cory Petit. The cover is by Ottley and Romulo Fajardo Jr.

Check out the HULK #5 preview below:

Are you reading HULK? Sound off in the comments!

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Kickstarter Spotlight: Getting Twisted in SICK & PARTY INVASION

By

Zac Owens

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The two-part horror comic, Sick & Party Invasion, has a very simple mission statement: It’s going to terrify you, disturb you, and it’s going to do all of this without an ounce of mercy. Writer AJ O. Mason and artist, colorist, and letterer Ethan Lu will play with your expectations. They’ll introduce you to charming characters and familiar themes, but they won’t offer the comfort these tropes usually provide. No, it’s all part of their plan to get you feeling vulnerable and open. The Kickstarter is live, and you’ll want to make sure you get yourself a copy while there’s still time.

Writing

Mason begins the first story, “Sick,” with a protagonist we’ve seen before. A young man sits on a bus with his earphones in. He’s bored with life and he’s angry that he feels stuck in a rut. But soon, a beautiful woman wanders up and asks if she can take the seat next to him. The bus, shown in the background of each panel, is empty. She’s here for a purpose. She wants to tell Holden, our bored protagonist, a story. Just when you think you’ve heard her story before, Mason pulls the rug out from under you. You’re left with a simple thought, one that Mason’s title suggests he intends to leave you with: “This is sick.”

“Party Invasion” is equally twisted, but Mason still manages to get you to hope for a happy ending. The trio of partygoers aren’t unlike your typical main characters from a pulpy slasher flick. They’re irreverent and funny. They want to play beer pong and make mistakes. Again, Mason is inviting you into familiar territory. He’s creating a false sense of security. You know where this is going! You already feel yourself trying to spot the final girl, but then the story swerves suddenly. The comforting pulp and schlock of a slasher film are abandoned. You feel your heart drop in your chest as you turn to the final page. Mason’s designs aren’t fun and campy, they’re truly terrifying.

Art

Lu is the perfect thematic partner for Mason. The horror of these stories comes from normal – or even beautiful – things being twisted. It starts in “Sick” with images of a marriage. Pictures of two attractive people at the altar, smiling and in love. Each character occupies their own panel. As they lean towards each other, Lu brings their panels closer and closer together, until they’re one. The next page, this panel repeats itself but it begins to change. We see it over and over again, except now the panel feels cramped. You see the characters pull away from each other and the panel itself begins to rip. Lu’s visual language here is stunning and heartbreaking. He takes the picturesque and tarnishes it. He makes us question the visions we have for our life, as he shows how quickly it can all go to shit.

In “Party Invasion,” Lu is flat-out hilarious. We see the main character, Brittney, looking towards the hosts of the party, telling a joke. It’s 9 panels of essentially the same image, except her face is contorting as she tries to give the joke everything she has. She’s incredibly animated until the joke doesn’t land. She stands there with a half smile frozen on her face before wandering off. As “Party Invasion” also unveils its terrifying turn, it quickly becomes clear that Lu can deliver the gasps just as effectively as he can deliver the laughs.

Verdict

Sick & Party Invasion is not for the faint of heart. Mason and Lu are a couple of twisted minds that are here to make you squirm. If you’re a fan of horror, this delivers on so many levels. It will pull you in with its charming characters and promises of a good time, before turning into a waking nightmare that you won’t soon forget. You can back the Kickstarter for Mason and Lu’s Sick & Party Invasion here!

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AfterShock Comics Exclusive Preview: THE LION AND THE EAGLE #3

By

Anthony Composto - EIC

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March 24, 2022

lion and the eagle aftershock comics exclusive preview

THE LION AND THE EAGLE #3 hits your local comic book store April 27th, but thanks to AfterShock Comics, Monkeys Fighting Robots has an exclusive four-page preview for you.

About the issue:
Stuck on their desolate hill in the jungle, surrounded and outnumbered by Japanese forces, the British dig in for the long haul – but events elsewhere conspire to rob them of supplies and resources they so desperately need. As the perimeter shrinks under relentless enemy assault, more and more of the men reach their breaking point – and not just on the front line, with even medical personnel forced into almost impossible decisions. With no hope of relief in sight, how long can Crosby, Whitamore and Singh preserve their force against annihilation?

The “oversized prestige format miniseries” is by writer Garth Ennis and artist PJ Holden, with colors by Matt Milla, and letters by Rob Steen. The cover is by Tim Bradstreet.

Check out the THE LION AND THE EAGLE #3 preview below:

Are you reading THE LION AND THE EAGLE? Sound off in the comments!

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