G-Men United #1 - G-Man Comics

G-MEN UNITED No. 1, May 2021

Somehow cramming American politics, prejudices, violently opposing perspectives and legislative procedures all within the confines of a single twenty-page comic book, Rik Offenberger’s Issue One of “G-Men United” definitely does a fantastic job in depicting just how diverse and immersive his fictional universe of super-powered crime-fighters is. Indeed, it is arguably hard to imagine what else this publication could contain, considering it takes its audience to major disasters, the heavily-armed headquarters of a horde of notorious master villains, a mesmerising fantasy land inhibited by green-skinned fairies, a world which transforms its visitors into cartoon caricatures, and a potential planetary invasion from some Hellish domain packed full of viciously-fanged demons.

True, all four of this magazine’s stories are somewhat short-lived and resultantly rush the reader straight through their exhilarating combat sequences without much in the way of context or exposition. But such is the raw energy of the storytelling that most bibliophiles should easily be able to accept the brevity of each adventure’s ‘set-up’, and happily dive head first into the action alongside the likes of Pocahontas, Terror Noir and Sergeant Flag; “Me and Rex were handling security for the Kawaii delegation to the U.N. And Rex, the big oaf stepped on a squad car.”

Perhaps this comic’s greatest asset though lies in just how many questions it raises as to how its vast cast and locations came to exist in the first place. For example, Earl Wajenberg’s “The Fifth Time” does a fairly good job in briefly explaining how The Energist came to gain his staggering ability to “manipulate basic forms of energy”. However, the tale of him rescuing Irene from a building full of similarly strong criminals arguably merely acts as an appetiser for the audience, with many doubtless wanting to know much more about what actually happened to “Uncle Dan” when he mysteriously disappeared for a few months and returned looking ten years older..?

Happily, this book’s layouts, predominantly pencilled by Johsua 1:9 Holley, is also rather engaging, being somewhat reminiscent of the illustrations found inside the old Eighties “Games Workshop” role-playing game “Golden Heroes”. In fact, the artist’s panels on “Into The Halflands” genuinely help imbue Flag’s character with considerable humour, especially as the red, white and blue garbed government operative is clearly unhappy with the mission he’s been assigned, and ultimately ends up having his fears confirmed when he’s being chased by a large, somewhat cuddly-looking, Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Writers: Rik Offenberger, Earl Wajenberg, & Jim Burrows, and Artist: Joshua 1:9 Holley