G-Man Comics 3in1 #1 - G-Man Comics

G-MAN COMICS 3IN1 No. 1, May 2021

Positively pulsating with the patriotic red, white and blue of the American flag, there’s a distinct Silver Age of Comics vibe to the scintillating shenanigans taking place within Issue One of “G-Man Comics 3in1”, whether it be from Sergeant Flag’s full-on rampage to rescue a Judge’s kidnapped daughter, Champion of Liberty²’s suspicions as to the spur behind Demon Priest’s voluntary incarceration, or American Eagle III’s bout of fisticuffs with the Frankenstein Monster-like Brain Bruiser. In fact, arguably any one of these seven-page long plots wouldn’t have looked out of place inside the covers of DC Comics’ “Showcase” or Marvel Comics’ “Amazing Fantasy” back in the day.

Starting this anthology off at an incredibly brisk pace is Rik Offenberger’s excellent “Fight For Justice”, which very efficiently sets the scene following the abduction of Maya Santiago’s abduction by a murderous drug syndicate and Rob McFarlane’s alter-ego being tasked with her rescue. Chock-full of crunching kicks, eye-watering punches and Gilbert Monsanto pencilling an incredibly exhilarating gun-toting motorbike ride, this adrenalin-filled adventure’s sole disappointment only comes when the story itself ends all too soon.

Somewhat more thoughtful, and certainly a tale which causes the reader to increasingly second guess the motivation of its main antagonist, is Jim Burrows’ “Liberty In Prison” - a rather thought-provoking affair that initially appears to be a simple tale of Jack O’Neill covertly monitoring the machinations of Father Samuel Gregory whilst the demonic-looking villain is behind bars. The Managing Editor does a good job in making both the undercover Champion of Liberty² and his audience persistently suspicious as to the Demon Priest’s religious sermons, and even manages to throw in the odd fisticuffs with a steel-skinned fellow inmate whenever the pacing gets a bit too pedestrian.

Debatably this comic’s most intriguing narrative though, courtesy of it ending on a “to be continued” cliff-hanger, is Eric N. Bennett’s “The Price Of Liberty”. Essentially a slugfest between the American Eagle and one of Half-Man’s more grotesque goons, this seemingly straightforward slugfest has an intriguing twist in its tail when it transpires that the unconscious bank robber was apparently a pawn in a much larger crime. Infuriated by his minion's unfounded belief that no Philadelphia-based super-hero could stop him, Vaughn Barron clearly intends to make Brain Bruiser’s captor suffer for having interfered with his revolutionary plans of conquest.

Writers: Rik Offenberger, Jim Burrows & Eric N. Bennett, and Artist: Gilbert Monsanto