Terrorwar #1 - Image Comics

TERRORWAR No. 1, April 2023

As “Image Comics” debuts go, Saladin Ahmed’s script for Issue One of “Terrorwar” must surely be viewed as a major triumph, with the Eisner Award-winner’s sci-fi storyline instantly immersing its audience deep inside a desperately declining world writhing with “mind-bending monsters” and Muhammad Cho’s engagingly penned underpaid crew of freelance contractors. Indeed, in many ways the premise of “the last liveable place on Earth” being plagued by creatures created from the fears of its struggling population seems admirably evocative of Pat Mills’ anti-authoritarian heyday when "the godfather of British comics" was contributing to titles such as “2000 A.D.”, “Starlord” and “Crisis”. 

Foremost of this book’s hooks has to be the splendid swiftness in which the lead protagonist’s selfless character, evident bravery and enchantingly deadly day-job are all firmly cemented with the audience. So many modern-day authors would arguably have taken this entire twenty-eight-page periodical to painfully establish such complex subjects. But instead of wasting time, the Detroit-born writer simply grabs the reader by the scruff of the neck and takes them on a roller-coaster of a ride across Blue City where at any moment a person might be horrifyingly immolated by a giant green cartoon caricature fresh from a kid’s television show.

In addition, despite all the futuristic shanty-town’s evident woes and decidedly deadly dangers, the Arab American poet also intriguingly imbues his dystopian society with the very worst elements of capitalism - such as where its inhabitants are forced to watch “Motivids” at precisely the same time during their daily routine unless they pay to have them turned off. This obsession with financial gain and a desperate desire to buy a person’s way out of Cho’s bad neighbourhood is persistently referred to throughout the plot, and neatly helps establish those within the considerably sized cast who are motivated by greed (or at least material wealth) and those like Mister Etienne, who freely feed half the block from their kitchen.

Equally as engaging as this comic’s narrative is Dave Acosta’s prodigious pencilling, which genuinely helps permeate the downtrodden metropolis with an almost overwhelmingly grim and depressing atmosphere. Those bibliophiles acquainted with Ridley Scott’s vision of Los Angeles/Ridleyville in his 1982 film “Blade Runner” should certainly find themselves in a familiar environment, courtesy of the illustrator’s well-rendered panels. However, the “superstar horror artist” impressively ratchets up his work to an entirely different level when it comes to him sketching a giant Second World War American zombie who threatens to consume the pit workers toiling underground in Cadmium Mine Twelve.

The regular cover art of "TERRORWAR" #1 by Dave Acosta & Walter Pereyra