Predator [2023] #3 - Marvel Comics

PREDATOR No. 3, July 2023

Predominantly focusing upon the mini-series’ large cast of characters interacting with one another, as opposed to depicting a ton of Predator-lead violence, Ed Brisson’s narrative for Issue Three of “Predator” must surely have had the majority of its audience literally frothing at the mouth with the sheer boorishness of some of the survivors Theta Berwick saves in this comic. Indeed, the atmosphere of treacherous injustice towards the Sandpiper’s badly wounded ‘skipper’ is truly palpable once the likes of Other Worldly Lifeforms Program (O.W.L.F.) trooper Isla becomes progressively resentful that her military organisation haven’t benefitted from the Yautja hunter’s collection of alien artefacts and equipment.

To make this soldier and her husband-in-crime, Lucas, even more dislikeable though, the pair’s pathetic justification to seize Sandy and release the cowardly Kiyoshi Yaksubo from confinement is apparently because they fear the deadly extra-terrestrials are heading for Earth. This concern simply doesn’t stand up to any scrutinization whatsoever, as the fact that the Predators have already kidnapped humans such as club doorman Allen, shows that they have already visited the planet. Instead, the entire argument just comes across a poor excuse for Isla to vent her fear and frustration at being cryogenically frozen for approximately forty years at the person who actually snatched her from the jaws of certain death.

Setting aside all the irrational squabbles and distinct split straight down the middle of the strangers’ loyalty to Berwick, 'A Wolf In Wolf's Clothing' is also notable for its depiction of the “powerful alien animal pack” fleetingly first seen in Nimrod Antal’s 2010 science fiction action film “Predators”. These River Ghosts appear truly savage creatures under Brisson’s penmanship, who despite being completely unarmed are still clearly quite capable of tearing down a fully-armed Yautja if they have enough numbers; “ Let’s get you outta ‘ere while the beasties are busy with one another.”

Masterfully managing to maintain an incredible atmosphere of tension and suspense throughout all this twenty-page-periodical’s dialogue-driven scenes are Netho Diaz’s pulse-pounding pencils. Coupled with Belardino Brabo’s ostentatious inks and Erick Arciniega’s moodily dark colour choices, these layouts do a grand job in showing the Jekyll to Hyde transformation in Isla’s physical demeanour as she plots with his partner to despicably betray their unconscious liberator.

Writer: Ed Brisson, Pencilier: Netho Diaz, Inker: Belardino Brabo, Colorist: Erick Arciniega

Alien [2024] #2 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN No. 2, February 2024

Easily living up to its New York City-based publisher’s promise of “bodies, bodies, bodies”, Declan Shalvey’s script for Issue Two of “Alien” contains more than its fair share of deaths as multiple humans across a couple of different time periods succumb to the horrible demise which awaits any creature who falls foul of a deadly face-hugger. In fact, much of this twenty-page-periodical’s early plot appears to have been penned simply to show how excruciatingly painful it is for a person to be impregnated by one of the Xenomorphs, and subsequently have a merciless chest-burster admirably live up to its name; “Okay, let’s open him up. Fast. See if we can cut this thing out. Oh my god!”

Once this disconcerting death-count ceases however, the Irish author predominantly focuses upon young Zasha Zahn’s desperate search for her synthetic ‘father’, as well as adds some extra mystery behind an adolescent Jun Yutani’s true motivation for visiting the “deserted ice moon LV-695” in person. Coupled with some downright suspicious behaviour by android 122-M some forty years in the past, and this canny concoction proves utterly mesmerising - especially once “Cole” makes her way back to her old, dilapidated home and starts gunning-down the murderous extra-terrestrials in a genuinely scary, running battle.

Indeed, quite possibly the highlight of this comic is Batya’s daughter recklessly entering the old Talbot Engineering Incorporated facility, as the Dublin-born writer avoids penning the protagonist as a highly unlikely, unstoppable killing machine, and instead depicts the woman as being determined but still entirely vulnerable to a whole posse of drones resolved to hunt her down. This characterisation makes the entire action sequence highly entertaining, and adds that extra element of concern for Zahn when she appears to be about to be overwhelmed by numbers.

Ably aiding Shalvey with some dramatically dark drawings and shadowy hues, are artists Andrea Broccardo and Ruth Redmond. Together this pair really help establish a hauntingly bleak tone to the considerable cast’s sombre surroundings, with the likes of the rust-covered hull of the U.S.C.S.S. Boreas clearly showing the time its spent lost beneath the icy waves, as well as its interior being under the ‘rule’ of the Xenomorphs and their resin-like hive webbing.

The regular cover art to "ALIEN" #2 by Javi Fernandez & Matthew Wilson

Predator [2023] #2 - Marvel Comics

PREDATOR No. 2, June 2023

It’s difficult to determine just how many of this comic’s readers were all that delighted with Ed Brisson’s decision to bring Theta Nedra Berwick back for this mini-series’ second instalment, as the technologically-advanced Yautja hunter’s presence alone completely changes the dynamic of the twenty-page periodical’s plot. For whilst the book’s considerable cast of “trained soldiers” are still penned desperately tearing through the tall trees on the Predator’s preserve planet. They’re no longer doing so out of sheer terror as to what is hunting them, but rather in a determined push to reach their saviour’s spacecraft and escape the nightmare world which they’ve found themselves trapped on.

Of course that doesn’t mean for a moment that the author isn’t still able to pack his narrative with some genuinely tense action sequences, or completely stun his audience by having “the daughter of botanists Hugo and Francesca Berwick” shockingly wounded in a duel when her attention is momentarily caught by the Sandpiper surprisingly blasting off-planet. However, much of the focus upon just how the original, outmatched humans were somehow going to avoid adding to the Yautja’s kill count whilst distrusting one another, is somewhat disappointingly replaced by the likes of Doctor Paolo Silva providing plenty of background exposition as to Theta’s plans and prowess; “We’ll bring you to a nearby Astar outpost and drop you off a few miles away so you can hike in.”

Quite possibly this publication’s most interesting character is therefore Kiyoshi Yaksubo, who after constantly complaining about how unfair everything is, cowardly rushes aboard Sandy and steals the vessel when he thinks the “motley crew” are about to die at the hands of a Predator. This utterly spineless act by the Japanese Self-Defence Forces officer will surely have caused many a bibliophile to almost wring the comic in sheer frustration, particularly when the man’s selfish behaviour costs his would-be-rescuer so much.

Managing to imbue all these sense-shattering shenanigans with plenty of pulse-pounding dynamism and pace is Netho Diaz, who does a terrific job of creating the illusion of action, even when a scene is simply showing a large, bald-headed bouncer protesting that he shouldn’t have been ‘time-snatched’ by the Yautja because all he does is deal with “a bunch ‘a slobberin’ drunks swingin’ on one ‘nother.”  The “mainstay at Marvel Comics” is also particularly good at sketching a sudden moment in time, such as poor Ernesto being horrifying fried just as safety was in sight for the Filipino soldier, or Berwick’s aforementioned debilitating injury.

Writer: Ed Brisson, Pencilier: Netho Diaz, and Inkers: Belardino Brabo & Roberto Poggi

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Echoes #4 - IDW Publishing

STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE No. 4, August 2023

Whilst some readers may well argue that Marc Guggenheim’s storyline for Issue Four of “Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Echoes” lacks much in the way of dynamic, action-packed excitement. The New Yorker definitely fills his twenty-two-page plot with plenty of political intrigue and tension, as James T. Kirk desperately attempts to swot up on his Romulan equipment so as to secretly transport himself to the undisclosed location of the planet-destroying Nightbringer weapon. 

Foremost of these diplomatic dilemmas undoubtedly stems from this comic’s strained opening between the Federation’s blue-skinned Madame President, Admiral Mohamed, and the duplicitous Ambassador Nanclus – who rather enjoyably bears more than a passing resemblance to the Romulan character's Silver Screen actor Darryl Henriques. This well-written scene really helps establish just how close to a full-scale war the two opposing empires are, and adds loads of weight to Commander Spock’s subsequent decisions, when the Vulcan is forced to contemplate the consequences of Sulu stealing “Akris’ purloined ship” and whether Pavel Chekov’s “dire medical state” is worth risking a galactic conflict over.

Furthermore, it provides the American author with plenty of opportunity to demonstrate just how very well he can handle the science officer’s close relationship with Leonard McCoy. The pair’s banter within this comic is so good that many within its audience should easily be able to hear the voices of actors Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley in their ears, as well as see the character’s facial responses to their verbal sparring and witty repartee in Oleg Chudakov’s pencilling; “Wait. You were messing with me just then weren’t you? I really hate you sometimes.”

Lastly, but by no means least, is Guggenheim’s ability to also give some spotlight to the rest of the U.S.S. Enterprise’s main crew, most notably that of Montgomery Scott and Nurse Christine Chapel. The Chief Engineer’s role within Spock’s plan to locate a pre-warp civilisation upon which the Romulan’s can test their newly-acquired Doomsday weapon is pivotal to this publication’s plot, and additionally provides the Scotsman with an opportunity to exhibit his own biting waggishness once he realises the pointy-eared alien “deemed it an acceptable risk” that he’d be clobbered unconscious by the determined General Uhura so she could escape the Constitution-class vessel in her recently repaired spacecraft.

Writer: Marc Guggenheim, Artist: Oleg Chudakov, and Colorist: DC Alonso

Alien [2024] #1 - Marvel Comics

ALIEN No. 1, January 2024

Publicised by “Marvel Worldwide” as “Declan Shalvey and Andrea Broccardo’s next and greatest Alien story”, this opening instalment to “Descendant” certainly should have pleased any fans of the science-fiction horror franchise, considering that the thirty-page periodical contains a number of its classic tropes. Indeed, the Dublin-born writer arguably ticks almost every recurrent theme imaginable in this comic, including the presence of an adolescent into the mix, despite the fact that the deserted ice moon LV-695 is well-known for harbouring a veritable army of deadly Xenomorphs.

In addition, this book contains some nice nods back to the title’s preceding mini-series, with Zasha Zahn returning to the facility where her family were killed some thirteen years earlier, and in doing so unknowingly passing the frozen corpse of former Weyland-Yutani employee Wendell Theen as she does so. Of course, much of this continuity will be lost on those readers new to the past exploits of Batya’s daughter. Yet for those ‘loyal’ bibliophiles who have followed the green-eyed survivor from the start, these moments of continuity are rather enjoyable; “I know you took the same walk, Dayton. I’m going to find you just like you found me.”

Sadly however, despite all this positivity, there’s debatably still something missing with the Eagle Award-winner’s storyline, courtesy of some slightly head-scratching leaps of logic. For example, if Zasha knew there were still Aliens aboard the derelict U.S.C.S.S. Boreas and purposely left her crew-mates there as “bait”, why did she bother to save two of them from a drone whilst they were busy canoodling in one of the sunken spacecraft’s corridors..? Furthermore, knowing that Jun Yutani III wishes to meet with her, Zahn reaches her appointment’s destination beforehand, only to then bizarrely depart to search for her ‘dead father’ just moments before the young woman’s illustrious employer arrives..?

Adding even more confusion to the narrative though are Shalvey’s persistent flashbacks to Planet HD 202206bk on the Outer Veil, which appear to carry no correlation whatsoever with what’s previously occurred on the aforementioned “world infected by the universe’s greatest killers.” Pencilled by Declan himself, this mining operation is clearly earmarked to go horribly wrong once its synth-hating supervisor discovers a face-hugger and foolishly sticks his nose straight in front of it. But whatever mystery its well-penned plot produces is somewhat diluted by its disconnection with the comic’s main adventure.

Writer: Declan Shalvey, and Artists: Andrea Broccardo and Declan Shalvey

Creepshow [2023] #4 - Image Comics

CREEPSHOW No. 4, December 2023

Arguably capturing both some of the wicked wit and grotesque gruesomeness of the original 1982 horror anthology film “Creepshow”, Nick Dragotta’s opening narrative for Issue Four of this comic book mini-series should certainly catch many a reader off-guard with its rapid decline into savage, physical mutilation. In fact, the “naughty” creator’s “Killer Cart Corral” may well completely wrong-foot the majority of this publication’s audience, courtesy of a storyline which initially suggests that a haunted shopping trolley will be its central antagonist, and then shockingly revealing a far grisly monster to break Billy’s heavily traumatised mother into several pieces.

Sure, some bibliophiles might believe that the thieving, drug-dealing brat’s parent may well have deserved a truly dreadful death at the bottom of her deceased son’s blood-splattered buggy. But this ten-page plot’s writer/artist does such a cracking job in revealing the adolescent’s deceit and his guardian’s unwillingness to accept his fatal flaws, despite closed circuit television footage to the contrary, that when she is still disconcertingly gurgling for mercy, few “Creepsters” will believe she genuinely deserves it; “As for you and your Billy. We simply cannot tolerate such carelessness. Good boy, Dougans.”

Just as intriguing, though not anywhere near as gory, is “The Amulet” by the “abominable Alisa Kwitney”, which explores all the concerns a wheelchair-bound septuagenarian may well experience when she is unlovingly expelled from her home straight into a cruelly-run nursing centre for the elderly. Quick to realise her perilous predicament, “Professor Emeritus of Archaeology and Anthropology at Ogelthorpe College” makes for a remarkably sympathetic heroine, who sadly appears well out of her depth against the Rainbow Rest’s utterly merciless and homicidally murderous manageress.

Proficiently pencilled by Belgian illustrator Mauricet, it’s debatably difficult to see just how the new resident is ever going to survive even a week inside the care home, especially when it’s spelled out to her just how quick a death a tenant can experience should they cross the malignant Miss Amy. But rather cleverly, the New York City-born writer manages to throw a few surprises into the mix at the end, including a truly disturbing scene of the facility’s outfoxed female felon being forced to eat the body parts of one of her previous victims as a staff member unwittingly watches on.

Writers: Nick Dragotta and Alisa Kwitney, and Artists: Nick Dragotta and Mauricet

The Batman And Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12 - DC Comics

THE BATMAN AND SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES No. 12, November 2023

As “time-twisting final” issues go, Ivan Cohen’s storyline for “Scooby Beyond” must have landed quite well with its audience, even if Hugo Strange’s “job of predicting the future” à la Warner Brother's 1999 animated television series, is far too spot on to be even slightly believable. Indeed, the fact that the super villain miraculously guesses that Bruce Wayne’s city will be renamed Neo-Gotham, have flying cars, another incarnation of The Royal Flush Gang, the lawless Jokerz, Barbara Gordon as its Police Commissioner, and a protégé Caped Crusader, is surely three or four too many contrivances for most bibliophiles to comfortably stomach.

However, for those readers able to do just that, and accept the Professor’s plan for Mystery Incorporated to inadvertently reveal Batman’s true identity in a virtual reality as silly nonsense, then this comic’s twenty-page plot will probably provide a bit of senseless fun - particularly once Scooby-Doo and Shaggy Rogers accidentally clamber aboard a pair of flying playing cards and start whizzing across the metropolis’ fluorescent blue skyline; “I’m trying Scoob! But I don’t have four feet, you know!”

Perhaps slightly less enjoyable though is the former editor’s determination to depict Fred Jones’ gang as being perfectly happy to stand toe-to-toe against the King and his “multi-generational crime family”, despite the felons clearly being able to lethally “kzzzap” the teenagers with all manner of high-tech weapons. This fearlessness debatably proves particularly incongruous to the “Hanna-Barbera” characters when Daphne Blake pre-emptively attacks Jack and Ten with hot-dog relish from a nearby stall, and then later joins her friends to defeat the “playing card-themed” evil-doers with several blasts from some conveniently-located fire extinguishers.

Arguably far more impressive than this book’s penmanship, are Dario Brizuela’s prodigious pencils, which genuinely do a great job of capturing all the bright lights and glitz of Paul Dini, Bruce Timm, and Alan Burnett's programme for "Kids' WB". Admittedly, Terry McGinnis’ heavily muscled physique is a little disconcerting for supposedly a sixteen-year-old boy. But alongside Franco Riesco’s vibrant colours, the “artist of comics, cartoons, and the box art that some of your kid’s toys came in” genuinely gives all the figures an impressive, dynamic physicality.

Written by: Ivan Cohen, Art by: Dario Brizuela, and Colours by: Franco Riesco