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

Omega #3 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 3, July 2021

Featuring a much more prominent presence of this mini-series’ titular antagonist, Mark Griffith’s script for Issue Three of “Omega” probably wrong-footed many of its readers on several occasions, as the comic’s plot arguably delivers surprise after surprise in its efforts to depict “the terrifying extent” of the rogue Time Lord’s nefarious plan for intergalactic vengeance. Indeed, it’s debatably difficult to imagine much more of a rollercoaster ride than the one this twenty-four page publication’s comedy playwright presents as Princess Malika “and her ragtag companions” bravely battle against the gun-toting forces of mass-murdering politician Oxrigi in outer space.

Admittedly, in subverting the expectations of its audience this book does contain a number of shocking deaths, not least of which is the Minyos King suicidally piloting his damaged Concorde-like space-liner straight into the planet’s upper atmosphere so as to save his city’s population. But such a flurry of fatal bombshells quickly establishes a heightened sense of nervousness in the reader whenever it comes time to peruse a new panel, as it’s never clear just which character is still going to be left standing; “Just when you make peace with the universe you suddenly find you’re not dying after all!”

In addition, these twists and turns also help create a palpable sense of sheer desperation in the comic's quite sizeably-sized cast. This pulse-pounding panic is probably best seen during Malika’s reckless raid upon Oxrigi’s battle cruiser following the destruction of her own vessel. One moment the princess is helplessly floating through the airless vacuum of space unable to activate her cellular renewal, and in the next her golden automaton is emotionlessly gunning down a ship full of guards after punching its way through the hull’s airlock and helping her aboard.

Ultimately however, much of this magazine’s success arguably rests with John Ridgway’s layouts, which definitely provide it with both the look and feel of Alex Raymond’s space adventure comic strip “Flash Gordon” from the Thirties. The British illustrator’s excellently envisaged mentally-powered mind-war between Kyril and Minyos’ homicidal ruler is particularly well-pencilled, as both combatants transform themselves into a number of unusual life-forms in an effort to outthink their opponent and extinguish their life force without "a crumb of dignity."

The regular cover art of "OMEGA" #3 by Silvano Beltramo

Lytton #4 - Cutaway Comics

LYTTON No. 4, June 2021

Tenaciously trying to tie-up all the different plot threads which this title has previously created during the lead protagonist’s utterly mind-blowing hunt “for the Positron”, Eric Saward’s screenplay for Issue Four of “Lytton” must surely have kept its readers holding on to the comic for dear life with the sense-shattering speed of its numerous action sequences. Sure, so frantic a pulse-pounding pace arguably leads to the odd scene needing to be re-read so as to ensure all of its nuances are properly understood, but the former “Doctor Who” script editor crams so much into this single twenty-eight page periodical that such an undertaking to comprehend the breadth of the screenwriter’s storyline was probably always going to prove a necessity anyway; “I’m not used to working this amount of overtime on a week night, Mister Lytton.”  

For starters, the revelation that Mister Longbody is actually a Terileptil planning to take over a London warehouse packed full of extra-terrestrial weaponry in order to use its explosive stockpile to destroy the capital city, must certainly have caught many a bibliophile by surprise. Coupled with the aggressive alien’s determination to have the “rogue prototype” E.V.E. similarly annihilated, and much of the intergalactic freelance soldier’s extreme efforts earlier in this mini-series to both placate the reptilian humanoid’s mounting anger, as well as cover-up its bloody murder spree, finally starts to make much more sense.

In addition, the exhilarating adventures of Wilson and the mysterious Artemis positively demand a willing suspension of disbelief from this book’s audience, due to just how well Saward pens them. The pair do a first-rate job of overcoming some of the Terileptil’s infamously formidable androids with little more than brute force, and then continue to impress as ‘kick-ass’ companions when they individually tackle a truly massive Vindanty Snare Beast and recalibrate the complex inner workings of a Positron’s backup coolant unit respectively.

Equally as enthralling though are Barry Renshaw’s colourful pencils, which contain all manner of nods to numerous other science fiction/Spy-Fi franchises such as Logan’s Run and Jason King. The “Lucasfilm Officially Approved Star Wars Sketch Artist” does a particularly fine job depicting Lytton’s swashbuckling swordfight with Longbody, and momentarily manages to make it look as if the deadly contest may well actually portray the final moments of the mercenary from the satellite Riften 5.

The regular cover art of "LYTTON" #4 by Barry Renshaw

Omega #2 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 2, April 2021

There can surely be little doubt as to the terrific pace Mark Griffiths imbues his narrative for Issue Two of “Omega” with, considering that the “comedy and drama writer” somehow manages to take the reader from the aftermath of Princess Malika’s failed execution through to her apparent death during an epic space dog-fight, all within the confines of a single twenty-four page periodical. Yet somewhat disappointingly, in order to achieve this remarkable feat, the author’s storyline does resultantly contain a fair few disconcerting contrivances which increasingly jar with the logic of this comic’s central storyline.

To begin with, the politician Oxirgi’s utterly demented plan “to release the rogue god Omega from his black hole prison” relies heavily upon the renegade Time Lord needing to feed upon “the psychic unrest” the crazed leader has created on his planet. However, in order for the statesman to acquire this ability to manipulate such vast amounts of psychic energy from raw fear the reader is asked to believe that he just happened upon the last of the Mindwranglers, Kyril – who supposedly saw “no harm” in imbuing him with such a truly horrendous ability.

Furthermore, the lawmaker’s insane scheme is suddenly altered to incorporate his use of the world’s gigantic flagship to “unleash terror on the entire planet” and basically wipe Minyos’ civilisation out of existence. Admittedly, such an attack would undoubtedly generate the psychosomatic power needed to free the once great intergalactic engineer from his anti-matter prison, but some within this book’s audience might find it a bit hard to believe that the elderly legislator’s own soldiers steadfastly support such utter Armageddon upon the very population they’re sworn to protect; “I’ll talk. But it won’t do you much good. Oxirgi’s going to steal a starship. The deadliest on the planet. He’s going to blast everything to Hell.”

Perhaps this publication’s most persuasive selling point therefore lies with its artwork by “Doctor Who legend John Ridgway.” The former design engineer who pencilled D.C.Thompson's Commando War Stories as a hobby, adds an extra element of megalomania to Malika’s main antagonist which the old man’s dialogue doesn’t debatably project. Plus, the illustrator’s inclusion of a formidably-sized Dimetrodon skulking outside a cave entrance on top of the Green Mountain is arguably worth this US format comic’s cover price alone.

The regular cover art of "OMEGA" #2 by Adrian Salmon

Lytton #3 - Cutaway Comics

LYTTON No. 3, March 2021

Whilst Gustave Lytton’s fantastically fast-paced exploits “deep underground on a parallel Earth” may well have conjured up many more questions than actual answers as to just what is happening to the intergalactic mercenary, Eric Saward’s script for Issue Three of “Lytton” must still have had the vast majority of its readers clamouring for more once this mini-series’ particular instalment concluded. In fact, the nonsensical assault which this publication’s plot makes upon the audience’s senses, as the former British army Major encounters the Samurai-styled Mister Seaton, a ghost train, killer policemen and a time vortex riding Mini Cooper, arguably goes a long way to prove a bibliophile doesn’t necessarily need to understand exactly what’s taking place within a comic book’s narrative to still find it a thoroughly enthralling experience.

Undoubtedly helping to make this twenty-eight page periodical’s mishmash of ideas work has to be the author’s ability to imbue each and every one of its set-pieces with a genuine sense of menace, most especially those towards the magazine’s end when the titular character is suddenly stolen from Wilson’s side by some extremely sinister Raston Warrior Robot lookalikes. Admittedly, Lytton’s character remains ever calm and unassailably assertive, even when being chased through a trans-dimensional portal by a sky-boarding demon. But the same assurity of survival cannot be said for the man’s companions who leap from one life-threatening escapade to another. Indeed, “the mysterious Artemis” would appear to have been almost exclusively created in order to provide this comic’s cast with some additional vulnerability, courtesy of the young lady debatably coming extraordinarily close to being gunned down by a couple of homicidal Bobbies in a deserted car park.

Equally as responsible for this book’s success though has to be Barry Renshaw’s dynamic drawings and eclectic choice of colours. Whether it be the slightly sterile atmosphere of the heavily-tilled London Underground station with all its greens and cold blues, or the foreboding browns and candle-lit yellows of a catacomb, the artist’s proficient pencilling imbues each location with a unique, vibrant life all of its own, which really helps instil the storyline with a palpable sense that its protagonists are physically going on a lengthy journey; “From the way you handled those policemen, I think you deserve the chance to drive.”

The regular cover art of "LYTTON" #3 by Barry Renshaw

Omega #1 - Cutaway Comics

OMEGA No. 1, January 2021

Fans of “legendary Doctor Who writers Bob Baker and Dave Martin” will probably enjoy Mark Griffiths’ script to Issue One of “Omega”. For rather than depict the great intergalactic engineer as some sort of over-the-top super-villain, prominent from the very start of this twenty-four periodical’s plot, the “comedy writer” instead simply has the renegade Time Lord much more realistically manipulate events from behind-the-scenes from beyond the confines of his inescapable black hole; “Lord, hear your servant. The chaos spreads… As you have willed… The Gods have fled, as if in shame at their failed experiment… The only rulers of Minyos now are fear and violence… As this psychic disturbance increases the bridge between your mind and mine grows ever stronger…”

Of course, every good comic still needs a memorable antagonist, and this publication’s playwright produces a truly loathsome one in the guise of people’s senator and Omega pawn, Oxirgi. The somewhat elderly politician initially seems rather sympathetic following the revelation that his world’s Gods actually disintegrated swathes of its population when it became clear its residents wanted to be free of the extra-terrestrial’s interference in their civilization’s evolution.

However, this approval quickly dissipates once it becomes clear the elderly statesman has absolutely no integrity whatsoever, and will happily lie so as to ensure the brave young Princess Malika is cold-bloodedly executed in front of a packed crowd simply to fuel his traitorous ambitions. Indeed, the old man’s dishonesty arguably beggars belief at times, as he outrageously accuses the last survivor of the Royal Family of trying to murder him with a harmless mechanical drone, and then later sentences “the vile coward” to death by firing squad for supposedly still treacherously consorting with the planet’s alien benefactors.

Just as pleasing as this comic’s narrative are the layouts of John Ridgway, the notable “artist behind some of the most memorable Sixth and Seventh Doctor strips for Doctor Who Magazine.” Admittedly, some of the British illustrator’s panels aren’t quite as well-pencilled as they may well have been in his ‘heyday’, especially towards the end of the book. But there’s still plenty of detail in the former “Judge Dredd” drawer’s layouts to both attract the eye and keep the storyline’s somewhat fast pace moving along quite splendidly.

The regular cover art of "OMEGA" #1 by Martin Geraghty

Lytton #2 - Cutaway Comics

LYTTON No. 2, December 2020

Absolutely packed full of enthralling conundrums and nerve-wracking plot-twists, Eric Saward’s narrative for Issue Two of “Lytton” should readily hook any fan of the former “Doctor Who” Script Editor’s work from the comic’s very opening, in which Charlie Wilson nonchalantly mentions to his enigmatic boss that he’s already shipped some inconvenient corpses “to Afghanistan in a sealed container.” Indeed, the bodyguard’s imperturbable attitude towards all the death and utterly bizarre destruction occurring around him is one of this twenty-eight page periodical’s greatest draws, whether the Vietnam veteran is staring open-mouthed at the disconcerting demise of the robotic Miss L, being partially eaten by a hungry Space Louse, or thoroughly enjoying himself battering a pair of homicidal constables and then subsequently running for his life; “I’m enjoyin’ this. Didn’t realise I was so fit. We need to get off this road. Those Policemen won't be down for long.”

Similarly as successfully penned is this book’s titular character, who exudes all the arrogant charm and assertive confidence which made him so popular when portrayed on television by the late Maurice Colbourne in the mid-Eighties. Gustave’s apparent knowledge of the deranged “space traveller” Longbody, as well as his evident familiarity with a portal to a parallel Earth, definitely raises more questions within the audience’s mind than they answer. But that just makes his repeated need for Wilson’s presence all the more intriguingly troubling, especially when things start to happen which the straight-backed mercenary was clearly not anticipating, such as his chance encounter with Astro-physicist Artemis Brown and a time slip bricking up the entranceway to the underground tube tunnel Lytton was trying to escape from.

Also adding enormously to this comic’s extra-dimensional ambiance is Barry Renshaw’s garishly coloured pencils, energetic layouts and genuinely creepy viewpoints of the adventure as it unfolds before the readers' eyes. The Liverpool artist really manages to capture the standoffish stiffness of this mini-series’ leading man from Riften 5, whilst simultaneously showing that he can equally be every bit the action hero a situation requires by dynamically sketching him sprinting through spatial doorways after his work colleague, unloading his pistol upon a particularly nasty-looking spectral amoeba and haring down heavily-tiled corridors as they collapse about his ears.

The regular cover art of "LYTTON" #2 by Barry Renshaw

Lytton #1 - Cutaway Comics

LYTTON No. 1, September 2020

Financed by a successful “Kickstarter” in July 2020, this opening instalment to a “new four part comic mini-series from legendary Doctor Who writer and script editor Eric Saward" certainly must have pleased the vast majority of its backers when they received their copy later in the year. For whilst there isn’t a trace of either the Daleks or Cybermen threatening the well-being of Gustave Lytton in this particular twenty-eight page periodical, the comic does live up to its pre-publication promise of depicting the ex-soldier in a thoroughly entertaining “noir thriller… perfect for fans of Sin City and Criminal.”

Indeed, the mercenary turned businessman’s ‘swapping of a shooter for a suit’ as he desperately searches London's West End for a positron molecular condenser seems to suit the cold-hearted killer’s character very well, and certainly shows a side to the alien from Riften 5 that was rarely touched upon during his two stories on the small screen. True, the man is every bit as mean and arguably unpleasant as actor Maurice Colbourne portrayed him in “Resurrection Of The Daleks”. But Saward’s enthralling script also hints at a softer side to the stony-faced ‘dog of war’ when he admits to keeping the ever-loyal Lance Corporal Wilson at his side for once saving his life in Saigon in 1968; “I at least own him a living.”

Delightfully, the British author’s development of this comic’s other cast members is just as intriguing, with the aforementioned Wilson proving particularly endearing. Determined to discover the murderer behind the deaths of six women and four men, the man risks all by clambering down into the London sewers despite the best efforts of Lytton to put him off the scent by claiming the noise he keeps hearing below his feet is “just a radio belonging to a sewer worker.”

Barry Renshaw’s artwork for Issue One of “Lytton” also helps imbue the narrative with an engaging sense of dread and foreboding. The Liverpool-born illustrator can readily pencil action, as shown with this book’s awesome opening sequence concerning a Vietnamese suicide attack, and Lytton’s incredibly violent dust-up with a party of 'hired help'. Yet it is debatably Renshaw’s choice of gaudy colours for the bright lights of seedy Soho which truly helps bring this publication’s storytelling to life, especially when they’re used to highlight the distinctly dark thoughts and feelings running through Gustov’s head.

The regular cover art of "LYTTON" #1 by Barry Renshaw