V #8 - DC Comics

V No. 8, September 1985

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly steering away from utilising the science fiction television series’ two leading characters of Michael Donovan and Julie Parrish, guest scripter Bob Rozakis’ script for Issue Eight of “V” instead rather enjoyably focuses upon the unlikely trio of Ham Tyler, Robin Maxwell and Chris Farber making their way to Chicago via a Resistance printing plant. In fact, if “Warner Brothers” ever entertained a spin-off series featuring actor Michael Ironside’s former CIA agent, then this comic’s plot would arguably have made for a great introductory storyline; “Hey, it was fun. Right, Chris..?”

Foremost of these successes is how the twenty-three page periodical sets a steady pace straight from the start, as the hitman’s van is unsuccessfully targeted by a patrolling Visitor’s spacecraft, and simply doesn’t stop until the battered white vehicle eventually pulls away from the Spartan Printing Company’s facility at the tale’s end. Of course, it would perhaps be all too-easy to create such a speed by repeatedly just throwing a slew of sense-shattering shenanigans at this book’s “anti-reptile rebels”. But in actuality, the American author pens something of a drawn-out ‘whodunnit’, where the business has been infiltrated by a number of extra-terrestrial saboteurs and poor Robin discovers she’s once again fallen for a man who “turns out to be a Visitor!”

Just as enjoyable though is the relationship between Tyler and his “best friend”, as the duo decide to stay on to convince Skimmer he has a serious ‘lizard problem’. Almost all of the subsequent action in this comic solely rests upon Ham’s shoulders, as he is the one who keeps the desperate aliens' only source of Red Dust antidote pills, and therefore attracts a number of assassination attempts. This deadly situation understandably results in the Resistance leader almost gleefully gunning down a number of Visitors, which inevitable begins to irk Farber, who wants to add to his own tally on this adventure.

Proficiently pencilling all these exploits are Carmine Infantino and Tony Dezuniga, who together manage to capture a little of the various actors' physical likenesses – most notably Ironside. In addition, the pair’s layouts are very good at showing just how close Ham comes to being overpowered by his prey, as Nathan Bates’ one-time employee appears to enjoy getting up very close and personal with the hamster-eating, reptilian extra-terrestrials.

Guest Scripter: Bob Rozakis, Artists: Carmine Infantino & Tony Dezuniga