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

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

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