Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #11 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS No. 11, June 2021

Nicely bookended by a scene on the Outer Rim in which Beilert Valance partners up with Dengar the Demolisher so as to track down the Corellian smuggler Han Solo, the vast majority of “The Great Hunt Of Malastare” actually focuses upon “a special solo adventure starring the most savage bounty hunter of all” rather than this ongoing series’ usual cybernetically-enhanced central protagonist. Yet whilst such a decision by Ethan Sacks might have perturbed some readers who were looking forward to another tale concerning the former Carida Imperial Academy cadet, those willing to give the infamous Trandoshan, Bossk'wassak'Cradossk, a moment in the American author’s spotlight were probably far from disappointed.

Indeed, this twenty-page periodical’s plot is absolutely packed full of sense-shattering action, plenty of the lizard-like killer’s trademark ferocious savagery, “some of the most dangerous scum in the galaxy”, a handful of wonderfully-penned moments of bold-faced treachery, and a great cameo by Jabba the Hutt's majordomo, Bib Fortuna; “Be careful out there. A lone hunter can be… vulnerable without the right kind of friends.”

Furthermore, Sack’s script for Issue Eleven of “Star War: Bounty Hunters” also provides a fascinating insight into just how utterly cold-blooded Bossk can be when presented with both a lucrative contract on a desperately dangerous planet and a motley group of unsuspecting innocents who’ll prove the perfect Judas goats when the opportunity arises. True, few bibliophiles were probably caught off-guard when the Wookie hunter willingly sacrifices his naïve entourage to the deadly gunfire of the group’s pursuers, simply so he could mark his opponents’ positions on the high ground. But that still doesn’t arguably stop the Trandoshan’s brutal act from being any less shocking, especially when he later indicates he feels the sole survivor should actually thank him for outliving the ordeal.

Paolo Villanelli’s pulse-pounding pencilling also adds plenty of barbaric swagger to the character of Cradossk’s son during this comic, most notably whenever the “scaly horror” feels his authority or ability as a natural born killer is being questioned. The Italian artist’s sequence depicting Bossk literally tearing through Vice Chair Jermit’s heavily-armed henchmen with little more than a blade and a rock is the highlight of this publication, and rather enjoyably seems to set-up a future rematch between Bossk and the Dowutin mercenary, Grummgar, at the same time.

The regular cover art for "STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS" #11 by Mattia De Iulis

The Recount #4 - Scout Comics

THE RECOUNT No. 4, April 2021

There’s a definite sense of Jonathan Hedrick ‘closing in for the kill’ with his narrative for Issue Four of “The Recount” as the American author basically boils down his United States wide uprising to a somewhat self-contained, action-packed assault upon the White House by a team of mask-wearing assassins. Happily however, that doesn’t mean for an instant that this mini-series’ final chapter lacks the sense-shattering surprises of its earlier instalments, courtesy of Special Agent Barto’s desperate attempt to ward off the President’s would-be killers with any household compliance which comes to hand, and the brains behind America’s so-called revolution finally revealing his true identity to Meredith McDearmon.

Furthermore, this twenty-eight page periodical does occasionally manage to throw a brief spotlight upon the rioting in Downtown Macon, Georgia, and show that despite the current Chief of Police’s traitorous behaviour, your average member of the public thankfully won’t “point those weapons at each other” and irrationally commit cold-blooded murder. Indeed, despite being highly emotional and armed with automatic weapons, Hedrick illustrates through the compassionate behaviour of ex-Vietnam veteran Abe, that the American people can not only tell the difference between right and right, but also make a stand against those in authority who would either try to blur or cross those lines; “All my mistakes are in the past, Seth. I’ve moved forward. While you’re crawling into the bottomless pit.”

Easily this comic’s biggest draw though, is Barto’s aforementioned battle against a cadre of colourfully-costumed weapon-wielding contractors who prove utterly merciless in their mission to execute President McDearmon. Garfield, Teddy, Lady Bird and Kanaan’s fight sequences are as pulse-pounding as they are bloody, and certainly make for a plethora of memorable moments - not least of which concerns Meredith gunning down the “modern-day sneak thief in the mold of Nezumi Kozo” as the skull-faced hitman attempts to saw his way through the Oval Office’s unprotected ceiling.

Perhaps therefore this book’s sole disappointment lies in Joe Bocardo taking over the artistic duties of Gabriel Ibarra-Nunez. Admittedly, there isn’t anything actually wrong with the illustrator’s proficient pencilling, especially when it comes to such bouts of pugilism as Barto going hand-to-hand with Teddy underwater in a swimming pool. Yet, the discernible difference in technical style to their predecessor is debatably a little disconcerting, and as a result takes some reading time to acclimatise to some of the slightly different looking leading cast members.

Writer: Jonathan Hedrick, Artist: Joe Bocardo, and Colorist: Sunil Ghagre

Dune: House Atreides #7 - BOOM! Studios

DUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES No. 7, May 2021

There’s an almost palpable sense of urgency to simply getting the story told with Issue Six of “Dune: House Atreides”, which rather seems to be at odds with some of the complicated and emotionally important issues the comic’s script covers. In fact, the sheer contrast between this twenty-two page periodical’s various plots, ranging from a pair of adolescent boys immaturely laughing at the destruction of their sailing craft on Caladan, through to the horrific sexual assault of Gaius Helen Mohiam, debatably marks out this particular instalment to Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson’s novel adaption as simply being ‘thrown together’, rather than a well-paced, self-contained chapter of the Prelude to Dune prequel trilogy.

Much of this haste is arguably on show during the comic’s opening quarter, when its readers are subjected to little more than a summary of events involving Pardot Kynes’ successful acceptance into the Fremen on Arrakis. The young planetologist is not only suddenly married to the sister of Stilgar without any exploration as to how the bearded scientist managed to find true love amongst the sand banks, but is also inexplicably now supported by the senior tribesman who had previously arranged for him to be assassinated; “As I promised Umma Kynes, I… I will relinquish my role as Naib. You have been shown to be our prophet.” Just what the Padishah Empire’s liaison agent has actually done so as to accomplish such strong feelings remains utterly unclear, as is the motivation behind why his new-found allies are so willing to install “my devices in the most remote parts of the desert.”

Leading straight on from this whirlwind tour of Fremen life is the disconcertingly detailed depiction of Mohiam’s aforementioned rape by Vladimir Harkonnen on Giedi Prime. This shocking scene is so traumatising that the comic’s publishers actually have a warning as to its explicitness stamped inside the book’s cover, and even go so far as to highlight the National Sexual Assault Hotline for those readers who want “more information on how to prevent and report acts of sexual assault”. Such a responsible attitude to an utterly reprehensible crime by “BOOM! Studios” is extremely laudable, but also debatably begs the question as to why illustrator Dev Pramanik couldn’t have been tasked to pencil more of Kynes’ adventures on Arrakis rather than provide so detailed a depiction of the Baron’s attack that the artist even goes so far as to actually sketch the release of the “virulent pathogens” latently stored within the Bene Gesserit’s polynucleotide chain during the couple’s disagreeable intercourse.

The regular cover art of "DUNE: HOUSE ATREIDES" #7 by Evan Cagle

Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #10 - Marvel Comics

STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS No. 10, May 2021

Besides an intriguing opening scene which sheds even more light upon the fractious relationship between Beilert Valance and Han Solo back when they were both Imperial cadets together on Qhulosk, Ethan Sacks’ script for Issue Ten of “Star Wars: Bounty Hunters” is primarily focused upon providing the science fiction franchise’s fan-base with a truly pulse-pounding gun-battle aboard a lone Rebel Alliance transporter. Indeed, this conclusion to the author’s “Terminus Gauntlet” storyline is almost unrelenting in its action-packed antics as the human male bounty hunter goes on a solo killing campaign against Skragg’s band of piratical misfits.

Rather pleasingly though, this twenty-page periodical’s plot isn’t simply limited to a number of unimaginative set-pieces in which the cyborg brutally murders his opponents so as to save the lives of the space vessel’s crew, but instead includes a surprising secondary scenario concerning Dengar the Demolisher being long-term friends with the traitorous Commander Hill Purpura, and the scurrilous pair’s plan to sell “the transponder codes for every ship in the Rebel armada” to the Empire.

In addition, despite his preparedness and ability to physically connect himself to the transporter’s computer-controlled systems, Valance is still ‘realistically’ shown as being somewhat vulnerable to chance, and more than once relies upon the assistance of Private Blanch Sproull in order to overcome his vicious adversaries. Such susceptibility to bad circumstances really helps add a truly palpable sense of concern for this title’s central character, and also imbues each of Beilert’s successful assassinations with an extra celebratory element – especially when the former mining slave manages to pull off something quite clever like trapping a pair of poorly-thinking bandits in an air lock; “Doesn’t require much intelligence to become a pirate does it?”

Helping this comic’s narrative bound along is artist Paolo Villanelli, whose marvellous panel work both clearly shows all the steps required by the facially-disfigured bounty hunter to enact his plan for retaking the stranded Rebel Transport, as well as portrays the increasing fear experienced by the new Ohnaka Gang as their superior numbers quickly dwindle and they realise that their own deaths are imminent. Furthermore, the illustrator appears to be able to pencil a seriously bone-crunching blow whenever it is called for, as seen on a couple of occasions by the cybernetically-enhanced Sproull walloping her foes from behind with a trusty iron bar.

The regular cover art for "STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS" #10 by Mattia De Iulis

Shadowman #2 - Valiant Entertainment

SHADOWMAN No. 2, May 2021

It really is very clear why publishers “Valiant Entertainment” are already referring to Cullen Bunn and Jon Davis-Hunt as a “bone-chilling team” if the collaborative creators’ work for Issue Two of “Shadowman” is anything to go by. Indeed, considering that this terrifying tale will probably wrong-foot many a bibliophile with the horrific outcome of just its opening sequence involving a seemingly harmless family foolishly stopping to ‘rescue’ a homicidal hitchhiker, there will doubtless be a timid few within the comic’s audience who in future will momentarily pause before gingerly turning this title’s pages and casting their eyes upon the next instance of abject gruesomeness.

Happily however, the ghastly fate of those mortals foolish enough to be seeking transportation to the deserted town of Enoch in Arizona isn’t simply a gratuitously graphic affair just for the sake of it. But is rather used to show just how depressingly dark the appetite of the run-down settlement’s resident demon actually is, as well as the insane grisliness of the three-headed beast’s plan to use a festering pile of slaughtered corpses to seed a rift to the Deadside.

As a result, this sense of revulsion generated by the inhuman way the creature’s over-zealous minions tear apart their latest victim limb by limb is clearly intentional, and arguably allows the reader to experience the actual emotions which subsequently motivate the somewhat indifferent titular character to finally act; “The Shadow Loa bound to my soul ensures that I can’t be scared. I can feel disgust though. I can be affronted by the nastiness I encounter. This is where the ghosts come from. Brought here to open the gate. Carcasses wedged like doorstops to keep the passage between worlds open.”

Similarly as successful in generating a sympathetic response for some of the grotesque farmer’s victims, is Davis-Hunt’s absolutely awesome illustrations and the way the artist pencils a pair of thrice-damned, fang-faced children as disconcerting flesh-devouring terrors. In addition, the effect of Enoch’s location straddling such a delicately-balanced cross-section of the universe is extremely well visualised by the video games designer, due to his panels constantly switching the municipality back and forth between its current-day depilated state and when it was previously a bit of a boom town.

The regular cover art of "SHADOWMAN" #2 by John Davis-Hunt

The Recount #3 - Scout Comics

THE RECOUNT No. 3, March 2021

Pitilessly playing upon the paranoia of the reader in his earnest endeavour to ensure that none of this comic’s cast are wholly trusted to keep Meredith McDearmon safe and well, Jonathan Hedrick’s script for Issue Three of “The Recount” initially seems more focused with undermining the loyalty of the American President’s personal protectors through a string of interrogation-based panels than depicting the disconcerting violence seen inside the mini-series’ previous instalments. But this approach soon changes once the publication turns its attention to “a standoff between the Police Department and armed citizens in the town of Macon, Georgia.”

Indeed, the Florida-born writer’s decision to suddenly throw this book’s audience a savagely violent curveball straight after such sedentary scenes in which Special Agent Barto and her boss are shown munching away on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, genuinely seems to add an extra layer of brutally to the cold-blooded execution of Public Order Team A when they are ordered to about face and have their heads literally blown off by their shotgun-wielding work colleagues; “This is yours now. Use it. Let them know you won’t be threatened.”

Equally as entertaining, though somewhat less physically vicious, is Hedrick’s well-penned meeting between the clown-faced ghoul behind America’s barbaric uprising and the White House’s former resident. The surprisingly intimate familiarity between the two characters smacks of just how well-planned and deeply rooted the bloody revolution actually is, as well as showing just what a truly deranged, yet dedicated, killer the rebellion’s mysterious leader is when the previous president is suddenly assassinated towards the end of their friendly conversation, courtesy of a poisonous “bottle of whiskey from Woodrow Wilson’s own supply.”

Adding plenty of emotion and raw action to this publication’s proceedings is Gabriel Ibarra-Nunez’s prodigious pencilling. The freelance illustrator’s double-splash showing off the specialist skills Kanaan’s hand-picked team of murderers is suitably reminiscent to something seen in a super-hero comic book when an arch-villain summarises the nefarious attributes of their latest criminal gang. Whilst the shockingly sad demise of Public Order Team A somehow manages to capture the stunned surprise of both the victims and onlookers as the ‘loyalist’ police officers are mercilessly gunned down.

Writer: Jonathan Hedrick, Artist: Gabriel Ibarra-Nunez, and Colorist: Sunil Ghagre

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