The Spark #1 - Fair Spark Books

THE SPARK No. 1, October 2019

As science fiction-based anthology comics go, it is clear just why this ongoing magazine “for all ages” was successfully funded in September 2019 on “Kickstarter”. For whilst the title is arguably intended for an adolescent audience, what with the trusty robot butler Springworth providing the periodical’s readers with an especially warm welcome, there is still plenty of entertainment to be had by adults from this book’s three main adventures.

Perhaps the best of the bunch is “Shadows” by Aaron Rackley, which depicts an ill-prepared rescue ship answering a distress beacon on an unchartered planet. Dan Harris’ artwork is understandably rather cartoony in its appearance, but that doesn’t stop this story capturing some of the tension elicited by James Cameron’s 1986 action film “Aliens” as the explorers are individually picked off by an unseen extra-terrestrial menace. Whilst the six-pager's excellent cliff-hanger of a conclusion definitely makes a reader want more; “Wilko to Command, come in! Everyone’s gone! You’ve got to help me! Repeat… Everyone is -- Oh no…”

Next up is Rob Barnes’ “Gallant And Amos”, featuring the unlikely duo of a human warrior and an anthropological talking dragon. It’s abundantly clear from an in-story text box plugging a previously published volume of their antics that this ‘odd couple’ already have a healthy history of dungeoneering together behind them, and resultantly this provides the pair with plenty of opportunities for witty banter. Combined with a frantically-paced plot set upon a holographic space station, and any bibliophile should have a bit of a blast following the partners’ brief battles with puzzles, escape pods, laser swords and killer robots.

Finally, “The Spark” thrusts any onlookers straight into the “John Baton Chronicles”, just as the titular action man’s crew are battling for their lives against a horde of heavily-fanged dinosaur-men. Aaron Rackley provides absolutely no explanation as to why this fire-fight in the corridors of a rapidly deteriorating UUA-20101A Battle Ship is taking place, nor how any of the combatants happened to be on the same space vessel. However, such exposition doesn’t debatably matter as the sheer gusty gun-play pencilled by Mike Dabrowski soon whisks the audience up in its conflict and doesn’t stop until the skirmish comes to a disconcerting end…

"The Spark" #5 to #8 can currently be supported on "Kickstarter" here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fairsparkbooks/the-spark-the-all-ages-sci-fi-comic-magazine/faqs

Writers: Aaron Rackley & Rob Barnes, and Artists: Dan Harris & Mike Dabrowski