ZVRC: Zombies Vs. Robots Classic #3 - Image Comics

ZVRC: ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS CLASSIC No. 3, May 2022

Somewhat moving away from this mini-series’ purely science fiction-based narrative where the modern-day world has been ravaged by a post-apocalyptic battle for survival between gun-toting automatons and hordes of the hungry Undead, for a much more science fantasy storyline, “Group Sects” certainly seems to contain far more bodily mutilation and flesh-devouring shenanigans than the reprint’s previous two instalments. But whilst this particular “sixty-six-page saga” catapults its audience into the semi-mythical world of Ancient Greece and a race of scantily clad Amazons that have somehow managed to survive being “decimated by nukes”, it still contains Chris Ryall’s usual enthralling combination of edge-of-the-seat dramatics and silly, laugh-out-loud moments.

Foremost of these fascinations is the speed with which the “Grecian Isle filled with warrior women” fatally falls to the zombies following Princess Dhysa’s innocent opening of the community’s protective barrier during a misguided demonstration of adolescent angst. One moment the reader is arguably as shocked as the seventeen-year-old is at her discovery as to what Queen Leolyta’s mysterious ritual actually is, and then in the next, most of the unsuspecting and unarmed Amazons are being eaten alive by a veritable swarm of walking cadavers: “No… My Queen… The seal to the catacombs below, it’s been broken wide.”

Equally as nerve-wracking as this shameful slaughter is the sudden appearance of the sole robot responsible for peppering the planet’s surface with atomic missiles, and his subsequent battle with an Undead minotaur. This pulse-pounding clash genuinely helps ‘break-up’ the potentially overwhelming amount of graphically depicted killings occurring inside the ‘Royal Palace’ with some genuinely amusing moments; most notably when the self-serving, bullet-shaped android realises that the savage creature is perfectly capable of head-butting him into electronic pieces if he doesn’t get some much-needed help from the children he’s been trying to protect.

Helping to present the sheer chaos contained within Ryall’s violent tale of destruction is Ashley Wood’s scratchily sketched layouts, which really help sell the grotesque nature of the human-chomping carry-ons taking place throughout this book. In addition, the “award-winning illustrator” adds a layer of sensuality and bare-faced nudity to its proceedings which ties-in with the stereotypical mythology of the female combatants. But may well disconcert those bibliophiles who don’t enjoy too much blatant sexual activity in their comics.

The regular cover art to "ZVRC: ZOMBIES VS. ROBOTS CLASSIC" #3 by Ashley Wood

Moon Knight [2021] #10 - Marvel Comics

MOON KNIGHT No. 10, June 2022

Essentially starting as a simple therapy sitting between the titular character and strait-laced Doctor Andrea Sterman, Jed MacKay’s marvellous manuscript for Issue Ten of “Moon Knight” probably caught quite a few readers by surprise with its mid-point shift to a narrative considerably darker than any the Canadian composer has previously penned before for this ongoing series. Sure, the lengthy fight scene set at the now haunted Midnight Mission against Ravencroft Institute escapee Rutherford Winner is extremely enjoyable and packed full of absorbing action.

But once Marc Spector’s psychiatrist is surprisingly revealed as being an imposter, “Session” genuinely seems to delve ever deeper into the costumed crime-fighter’s deadlier side as he unapologetically buries the mass-murdering Waxman alive inside an airtight steel sphere housed within “the foundation of this overpriced condo building.” Indeed, the Fist of Khonshu is so determined to hurt Sterman’s odious replacement “beyond all comprehension”, that he even ensures the vampire Reese isn’t present during his prisoner’s interrogation, because he realises his blood-drinking receptionist would doubtless be appalled at the anti-hero’s inhumane treatment of Waxman, even after the serial killer has desperately told Moon Knight the location of Zodiac.

Of course, this comic’s opening bout of pulse-pounding fisticuffs is equally as enthralling, due to it providing any perusing bibliophile with an incredible demonstration as to just how savage close combat can be in the Marvel Universe when two street-level antagonists go toe-to-toe against one another. Initially, a man armed with a knife might not seem the strongest of adversaries for Spector’s alter-ego to encounter. However, this quickly changes once the audience are informed about Winner’s abduction by Hydra, and his brain’s rewiring into a veritable killing machine as part of the terrorist organisation’s horrendous-sounding Pygmalion Project.

Helping to sell all these sense-shattering shenanigans is Alessandro Cappuccio, whose illustrations quite beautifully transform from sweeping splash pages of brutal slugfests into tightly focused panels of Waxman’s increasingly petrified face. In fact, one of the most convincing elements of this publication’s storytelling is the astonished horror upon the faces of Soldier and Tigra as Marc cold-heartedly ensures his utterly helpless captive suffers “execution by gentrification.”

Writer: Jed MacKay, Artist: Alessandro Cappuccio, and Color Artist: Rachelle Rosenberg

Alien #11 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN No. 11, June 2022

Pulsating with plenty of pace, Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s script for Issue Eleven of “Alien” must surely have held the attention of many a reader with its cast’s headlong dash across Euridice’s extra-terrestrial infested surface. In fact, the sheer desperation of Jane and the few surviving Spinners is genuinely palpable, particularly at this comic’s cataclysmic conclusion when all seems lost despite the party’s almost superhuman efforts to reach Gamma station and the seeming safety of the United States Colonial Marine Corps.

Enjoyably, none of these adrenalin-charged flights from terror appear to be ‘plot-thin padding’ either, with even the colonists last stand against a swarm of alien drones in a wheat field providing a fascinating insight into Callan’s feisty determination not to have her ‘flock taken away’ from her by the formidable creatures. Likewise, the character of Leo also receives plenty of spotlight, whether the white-bearded settler is busy swinging a hand-axe against a swarm of heavily-fanged, rodent-sized Tubers, or standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jane in the face of overwhelming odds armed only with a shotgun; “No. I -- I won’t be food for these things. Kill me. Jane. Kill m --”

Ultimately however, this publication’s biggest moment comes with the sudden appearance of Gregory, and the disconcerting fate the organic-hating synthetic has in store for the decimated Spinners. Absolutely dripping in cold-hearted menace and a deep, resonating hatred for his “embarrassing” former friends, the Weyland-Yutani android is quickly established as being cut from the same cloth as the Nostromo’s science officer Ash, as he mercilessly guns down an unsuspecting Leo without a moment’s hesitation and later abandons the shell-shocked stayers at the very heart of an alien hive.

Also thoroughly deserving of “props” for the success of this twenty-page periodical is former “X-Men” illustrator Salvador Larroca, whose incredibly detailed and highly atmospheric layouts really help sell the soul-shattering emotional journey out of Sanctuary so many of this comic’s cast are dragged through. In addition, the Spanish artist does a first-rate job of imbuing Gregory with plenty of sinister menace once the overly-religious robot has cleverly been revealed by Jane as being as traitorous a mechanical creation as he is homicidal.

The regular cover art to "ALIEN" #11 by Marc Aspinall

Shang-Chi [2021] #11 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI No. 11, June 2022

Overflowing with large-scale kung fu fights, an appearance by the mythical Jade Emperor himself, and the return of the titular character’s dead father Zheng Zu, it’s perhaps somewhat surprising that Issue Eleven of “Shang-Chi” only sold 6,920 copies in April 2022 according to “Diamond Comic Distributors”. But whilst this predominantly fast-paced twenty-page periodical’s plot undeniably delivers on its prepublication promise to depict the titular character “on a dangerous mission to rescue his mother from Ta Lo”, Gene Luen Yang’s script does arguably rely upon a few ‘corny’ stunts in order for his storyline to progress.

The first of these has to be the mind-activated energy hammer Zheng Shi-Hua suddenly sports since having her right-hand chopped off by her homicidal grandfather. This goofy-looking ‘glowing weapon’ smacks of being little more than a technologically advanced middle-ground between Razor Fist’s impractical blades and Skull Crusher’s chain-balls, and resultantly seems a little too gimmicky for the rest of the American author’s seriously-toned narrative; “Shang, don’t get me wrong. I am grateful, but… after the way we left things, why would you give me a hammer..?”

Likewise, the dramatic fall of the supposedly all-powerful Yu Huang initially appears to establish Chieftain Xin as the new occupant of the Jade Throne, and seemingly sets up the Master of Kung Fu for the grand battle of his life. However, rather than have Shang-Chi somehow scramble his formidable family together into a last minute defensive force, this third instalment to “Blood And Monsters” instead has the Supreme Commander disconcertingly desert his outclassed siblings so as to follow the ghost of his treacherous parent – who rather conveniently knows all the secret passages and hidden stone levers which lead to “one of the five sets of heavenly weapons.”

Such quibbles as to this book’s penmanship can easily be forgotten though, due to the strength of Marcus To’s illustrations, whose dynamic vigour readily carries the reader from one action-packed set-piece to another. Indeed, Xin’s savage transformation into an aging Kyle Rayner lookalike is one of the publication’s highlights, and definitely helps sell the plausibility of the Qilin Riders’ leader shockingly throttling “the son of the King of the Pure Blissful Kingdom of Lofty Heavenly Lights and Ornaments” in the very heart of the Jade Emperor’s domain.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI" #11 by Leinil Frances Yu & Sunny Gho

Star Trek: The Mirror War #6 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MIRROR WAR No. 6, May 2022

Managing to quite wonderfully instil into its readership the sheer scale of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s freshly forged invasion force, Scott and David Tipton’s storyline for Issue Six of “Star Trek: The Mirror War” is arguably a tour-de-force as to how utterly ruthless the former I.S.S. Stargazer’s commander is in this alternative reality. Admittedly, the comic’s narrative does imbue some semblance of ‘softness’ to the bald-headed leader’s temperament when it comes to his relationship with the handsome freebooter Thadiun Okona. Yet even the Terran officer’s piratical partner-in-crime meets a decidedly sticky end at the hands of his former friend once he has outlived his usefulness and subsequently become an increasingly irritating thorn in his side; “I am going to Cardassia Prime. And onward to glory. You are stepping outside.”

In addition, this twenty-page periodical’s plot makes it abundantly clear that Picard finally has both the resources and firepower to make his personal path to the emperor’s throne a very real possibility. Such grandeur really is extremely well portrayed, not only by having various members of the I.S.S. Enterprise-D’s bridge crew co-ordinating attacks aboard their own newly built starships. But by Jean-Luc’s unqualified success causing him some logistical problems in docking and disembarking all his stolen loot at his planetary base.

Furthermore, the two writers do a cracking job in presenting just how frustrating the captain’s triumphs are becoming for his hated enemies – both outside and within the Terran Empire. Worf’s violent physical abuse of his underlings, most notably the insidious Garak, is unsurprising. However, the real treat comes when Admirals Nechayev and Savar are forced to ‘play nice’ with Picard and grant him “the additional personnel you requested” for fear of his mighty armada adding a victory over their weakening kingdom to his list of already sizeable accomplishments.

Equally as enthralling as this comic’s script, however, is Gavin Smith’s artwork, which should quickly immerse any Trekkie into this reimagining of The Next Generation’s Mirror Universe. The “freelance artist” does an especially pleasing job of pencilling the various space vessels constructed to oppose the combined Klingon-Cardassian fleet, as well as the antagonistic facial expressions upon all of this mini-series’ cast members – something which genuinely helps reinforce just what a savagely barbaric domain the characters reside within.

Writers: Scott & David Tipton, Artist: Gavin Smith, and Colorist: Charlie Kirchoff

BRZRKR #8 - BOOM! Studios

BRZRKR No. 8, April 2022

Supposedly depicting the titular character’s ‘mental journey reaching its culmination’ whilst being voluntarily trapped inside a metal box buried deep beneath a featureless desert, Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt’s storyline for Issue Eight of “BRZRKR” certainly tries to maintain the sense of savage destruction which has followed “Unute” since this mini-series’ start. Yet despite the twenty-four-page periodical containing so violent an earthquake that the American authorities lose eleven men to Caldwell’s grand experiment, it’s decidedly difficult not to imagine that some within its audience will be disappointed with the central plot’s seismic shift in direction.

Indeed, having seemingly been simply preoccupied with the immortal warrior’s outrageously violent journey through the ages, and his tragic inability to bare children with the plethora of women he has fallen in love with, this particular publication instead transforms “B” into an energy being capable of ‘breaching the quantum realm’ in an effort to finally come face-to-face with his ‘biological’ father. Such an arguable change in focus from science fantasy to science fiction is a little befuddling, especially when the notion of a new energy source, the synthesisation of “novel amino acids” and the viable animation of “the Unute [clone] Assemblage” are all bandied around within seconds of one another.

To make matters worse however, it is never explained just why the unkillable test subject is suddenly able to conjure up such a massive amount of distinctly dark, almost Sith-like looking energy, from within his body. Sure, the eternal soldier has been able to generate a modicum of such power before, to regenerate his physical body when it has been badly mauled or even obliterated. But just why he’s able to suddenly tap into the fantastic force’s actual source is rather ‘up in the air’ – unless it somehow comes as a result of all Doctor Diana Ahuja’s trials and tribulations; “What are you doing? We’ve pulled all our men back. It’s not safe.”

Lamentably though, this comic’s lack of solid storytelling also seems to adversely affect Ron Garney’s layouts, with the former “Captain America” artist somewhat struggling to find much inspiration with the script he was given, as Caldwell predominantly waxes lyrical to something resembling a Jedi Order remote droid whilst pottering through a well-equipped laboratory. In addition, it’s hard for even a two-time Eisner Award nominee to make a bland backdrop terribly exciting, even when the sun-baked landscape itself is being torn asunder by crackling energy beams and the occasional Humvee is shown fatally falling into a crater.

Written by: Keanu Reeves & Matt Kindt, Illustrated by: Ron Garney, and Colored by: Bill Crabtree

Task Force Z #1 - DC Comics

TASK FORCE Z No. 1, December 2021

Chock-a-block with some of Batman’s most feared opponents and an unhealthy dose of brain-devouring zombies, Matthew Rosenberg’s script for Issue One of “Task Force Z” probably landed reasonably well with its 65,700 readers in October 2021. For whilst the ‘Elseworlds’ narrative set some time after A-Day arguably lags a little during its second act, as Jason Todd spends his time sedentarily walking throughout the convoluted corridors of the mysterious Chop Shop facility talking to different people, “Death’s Door” still contains plenty of action and intrigue with which to beguile its readers; “Has our director Crispin been keeping secrets from us..?”

Foremost of these hooks is debatably this comic’s high octane opening concerning the arrest of Crazy Quilt by “Gotham’s last hope”, and Paul Dekker’s subsequent terrifying interrogation by a ravenously hungry Arkham Knight. The classic “D-List bad guy” actually proves himself to be something of a fighter initially, when he punches a “foot-wide hole” through Man-Bat during his unsuccessful escape attempt across the night skyline of Bruce Wayne’s home metropolis. But soon then resorts to his more familiar ‘timid’ self when his captors chain him in a bare room and cold-heartedly introduce a slow-moving, cowl-wearing zombie into his highly vulnerable environment.

Likewise, this book’s ending is similarly as surprising, courtesy of Red Hood’s undead team stumbling upon a heist by Mister Freeze, as opposed to the low-level smuggling operation their employer’s intelligence suggested they’d encounter. The American author does an especially fine job of penning the sheer chaos surrounding Todd when his unprepared people try to tackle one of the Caped Crusader’s most notorious super-villains, and ends the seemingly fatal encounter with a seriously dramatic cliff-hanger…

Eddy Barrows should also be given plenty of credit for making “The One Where Crazy Quilt Almost Gets Eaten” such a treat for the eyes. The Brazilian artist genuinely appears to try almost every trick in the ‘panel layout book’ to generate some sort of momentum with Jason’s series of conversational pieces. However, the illustrator particularly produces the pulse-pounding goods during Task Force Z’s titanic tussle against Doctor Victor Fries, with various characters getting shockingly smashed into tiny pieces of frozen flesh.

The regular cover art of "TASK FORCE Z" #1 by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira & Adriano Lucas