Omega #4 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 4, October 2021

Whilst it arguably wouldn’t be entirely incorrect to view Mark Griffiths’ narrative for Issue Four of “Omega” as a stand-a-lone story bolted onto the writer’s previously published three-parter, this particular twenty-four page periodical’s plot certainly differs somewhat in nature as to its predecessors. In fact, apart from prominently featuring Princess Malika and the dark-hearted renegade Time Lord “imprisoned in a black hole”, there’s debatably little within this tale which strongly connects it to the rest of Cutaway Comics' mini-series; “I’ve reached a conclusion… But I don’t think you’ll like it.”

Rather pleasingly though, such distance from the destruction of Minyos enables the ‘Radio Four playwright’ to pen an intriguing tale about "the Engineer" attempting to rule a civilisation of his own making as a benevolent and wise ruler. Naturally, considering the cruel temperament of the “great intergalactic engineer” things don’t work out terribly well for his planet’s population, particularly for the public who unwisely decide to stay to face his lethal wrath. But that doesn’t stop Omega’s apparently earnest endeavour, or Malika’s desperate effort to evacuate some of the megalomaniac’s mortified people to the safety of our universe, from being any less riveting a read.

Indeed, one of the biggest draws of this book is debatably that its audience knows “the anti-matter creature” cannot be trusted with the hapless lives of others, so is bound to come into direct conflict with the aquatic-looking amphibians who ‘rule’ his world, especially when some suddenly decide to profane his sacred image in an act of atheism. However, what the audience is potentially not anticipating is Griffiths imbuing the fish-men’s military with the surprising ability to so badly damage their “creator” with “some kind of anti-neutrino beam” that they temporarily deprive him of his great power and force Omega into hibernation.

Equally as enjoyable as this comic’s script are John Ridgway’s pencils, which quite beautifully manage to capture all the alien weirdness going on with great creative aplomb. The artist’s incredible splash page depicting Malika laser-blasting a giant Lion Mantis straight through the insect's head is a genuine feast for the eyes, as is the Englishman’s enigmatic design for Omega’s ill-fated extra-terrestrial beings.

Writer: Mark Griffiths, Artist: John Ridgway, and Colourist: Andrew Orton