X-Force #45 Review

 

Writer: Benjamin Percy

Artist: Robert Gill

Colorist: GURU-eFX

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Daniel Acuña; Whilce Portacio & Arif Prianto

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 4, 2023

 

Domino’s raid on an exclusive Russian bathhouse netted her a mysterious ring. Is it linked to Mikhail Rasputin? Can it help Sage rebuild X-Force? Let’s leap into X-Force #45 and find out!

 

Story

The Chronicler writes the story of X-Force’s downfall. His mutant powers influence those he writes about. Mikhail used his brother Colossus to help Orchis destroy the thriving community of Krakoa. But the massacre left Orchis running the world, and Mikhail craves power. So Mikhail gives the Chronicler a new task. Find another character for your next story arc. Choose someone inside Orchis who can work for me!

 

Sage lost her team at the Hellfire Gala. Mikhail holds half her people prisoner. She must reform X-Force to free the mutant community from Orchis' shackles. The key to achieving her goals lies in the mysterious ring. She's secreted the strange artifact in a No-Place tumor. But who can help unlock its secrets?

 

In X-Force #45, Benjamin Percy weaves readers into two intertwined dramas. The Chronicler yearns to escape Mikhail’s domination. Sage wants to defeat Mikhail. But the clock is ticking, and a misstep could sweep either player off the gameboard.

 

 

 

 

Art

Robert Gill packs pages with detailed art that portrays characters consistently from panel to panel. Darkness surrounds Colossus amid the tragedy of his life while parchment leaps from tall stacks upon the Chronicler’s desk. Orchis agent Jun Wei tantalizes with a dragon tattoo that slithers across her skull, while Deadpool savors the good life in Las Vegas. Settings filled with life and energy invite readers to visit every locale featured in X-Force #45.

 

GURU-eFX loads his palette and doesn’t hold back. Panels set in Krakoa and Las Vegas explode with color. Darkness surrounds people in Mikhail’s world, yet nothing hides from the reader’s gaze. Gray seeps into a colorful, unlit corridor in Dr. Strange’s house while the fire crackling in his hearth casts the library in pink and orange. Glowing symbols hover before his eyes as he studies the mysterious ring, while tears trickle down the Chronicler's cheeks as he writes a character’s demise in X-Force #45.

 

Joe Caramagna writes the Chronicler’s narrative in white boxes and Deadpool’s dialogue in yellow balloons. He gives aging eyes a break from his tiny script with a fact sheet on Orchis agent Jun Wei and the Telepathic Notations of Dr. Strange. Giant, angry letters roar amid the darkness when someone withdraws a gun and pulls the trigger. Who shot J.R., you ask? Forget Dallas! Discover who shot who in X-Force #45!

 

Final Thoughts

While Sage and Domino seek the key to mutant liberation, a prisoner’s desperate bid for freedom could doom countless others in X-Force #45.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #2 Review

 

Writers: Wes Clark Jr. & Steven E. de Souza

Artist: Ediano Silva

Colorist: Vinicius Townsend

Letterer: Taylor Esposito

Cover Artists: Lucio Parrillo; Joseph Michael Linsner; Arthur Suydam;

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 6, 2023

 

Unsanctioned drilling in the Forbidden Zone draws Sheena’s attention. What are they searching for, and why is El Presidente allowing it? Let’s leap into Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #1 and find out!

 

Story

Global corporations haven’t moved into tranquil Val Verde yet. As of now, the Clumsy City Cowodi surveyors are only taking samples. Working to a grid pattern, they’re searching for something. But what?

 

Under a full moon, Sheena swings in to observe. When she gets too close, gunfire erupts. Her friends Chim the Monkey, Yagua the Jaguar, and Pete the Parrot help her survive the ambush. But if they were waiting for her, are her friends in the city in danger?

 

The following morning, the privileged students at L’école des Jeunes Filles du Val Verde have trouble staying awake. Fascinated by the Blessing Goddess, their evening gatherings lead to slumber during class. Despite her nocturnal exploits, Sheena’s ready to give Hermoine Granger a run for her money. But what did her roommate Tyler observe when Sheena wasn't looking? Might it get our vine-swinging heroine into trouble in Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #2?

 

Sheena statue from Big Bad Toy Store

 

Art

Ediano Silva brings lifelike realism to Wes Clark Jr. & Steven E. de Souza’s entrancing mystery. Gestures and movements are spot-on, and the characters look good from every angle. Blankets and garments fold, flow, and tumble. Action lines and blurred backgrounds rarely obliterate compelling, photographic scenes in this tropical paradise.

 

Vinicius Townsend imbues scenes with vibrant color that howls its realism in the moonlight. His heavily loaded palette delivers highlights and shadows that convey depth and texture at any time of day. Even the most art-clueless City Cowodi will drool at the visual feast of Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #2.

 

Taylor Esposito’s white balloon arrangement is always easy to follow. His pleasing black, uppercase letters are a joy to read in Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #2. Lively and colorful sound effects help you hear the drilling operation, Chim’s yeeps, Pete’s squawks, and Yagua’s growls. Readers feel each second of the battle as bullets fly, arrows slice through the air, and spears impale soldiers.

 

Final Thoughts

Greed, corruption, and a strange form of spiritualism make Sheena Queen of the Jungle: Fatal Exams #2 an action-packed mystery involving death in paradise.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

To preview interior art and more covers see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

 

 

 

King Spawn #26 Review

 

Writer: Todd McFarlane

Artist: Javi Fernandez

Colorist: Ivan Nunes

Letterer: Andworld Design

Cover Artists: Mike Deodato, Jr.; Kael Ngu

Publisher: Image

Price: $2.99

Release Date: October 4, 2023

 

While he argued they joined forces to take down Cogliostro, Clown killed Spawn’s friend Yoko. Now Spawn’s fed up. So, he’s gearing up. Spawn won't be a pawn in Heaven and Hell's game. Who is he going after? Let's leap into King Spawn #26 and find out!

 

Story

Knives. Guns. Modern assault armor. Spawn straps it all on, then flies through the night. He searches for a woman. One who can aid him: the Visage.

 

Al Simmons will never join forces with his wife’s murderer. But Clown was right about one thing. Whoever sits on Hell’s throne can harm Earth. Spawn reigns harm upon his enemies to prevent this. He flies through the shadows of our world like a bat out of Hell. All the while, he seeks a kindly old lady.

 

News personalities muse upon the relationship between caped crusaders and global warming. Do costumed superheroes proliferate alongside extreme weather events? Spawn may not be responsible for the latest heatwave in King Spawn #26. Still, is he willing to expose his secrets and risk all to prevent villains like Cogliostro and Clown from controlling Hell?

 

Clown action figure available at Amazon.com

 

 

Art

Gloved fingers grab grenades, load guns, and wreath Spawn’s chest with bands of bullets. Moonlight casts his shadow upon buildings, thanks to artist Javi Fernandez. Lights gleam in the night from New York City skyscrapers as Spawn perches upon a denuded tree in King Spawn #26. His cape carries him like batwings as the symbiote soldier Al Simmons swoops down upon his enemies.

 

Spawn’s crimson cape gives way before the red neon nightclub sign as Al Simmons enters. Red ceiling lights threaten to turn the splattered blood brown. Al's teeth gleam and his eyes glow green as Ivan Nunes imbues King Spawn #26 with colored film noir appeal.

 

Yellow uppercase letters glow within brown narrative boxes as Todd McFarlane relates Spawn's actions. Giant red sound effects punctuate Spawn's Breaking And Entering. Uppercase black letters inhabit white dialogue balloons as Spawn questions his victims and begs his favor. Andworld Design delivers a fast-paced horror adventure that’s Heaven on the eyes in King Spawn #26

 

Final Thoughts

Do the ends ever justify the means? To prevent a greater evil, Al Simmons lays aside his principles and engages in aggressive negotiations with the blood-soaked King Spawn #26.

 

Rating 9.4/10

 

For another cover see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

The Brittle Sea Review

 

Author: Tom Kane

Publication: 2020

Price: Free

 

In Tom Kane’s novel The Brittle Sea, Magda Asparov yearns to reclaim her family's greatness. After her parents sold their ailing cannery, she agreed to marry an American businessman. Who cares if he's older than her? It's her ticket out of poverty!

 

Matthew G. Turner III squandered his family’s wealth. Hemorrhaging businesses and property, he buys successful businesses and strips them of their assets. When Magda’s parents offer him valuable land, he agrees to marry the young woman.

 

Getting in their way is Captain Richard Blackmore. While he rescues Magda from the Titanic, she's lost her memory. He gives her the name Maggie, which she likes. She can't claim she survived the Titanic disaster when she can't remember her name. Turner charges his fixer, William Harker, with finding her. But Maggie—a kind, generous, and loving woman--has fallen in love with Richard.

 

Fate separates Maggie and Richard. Events allow Magda to resurface. Turner and Magda—two psychopaths who don't care who they hurt to get what they want—seem made for each other. Yet Richard refuses to forsake Magda. Unfortunately, William Harker is determined to keep them apart.

 

Rich in drama, The Brittle Sea transports readers across the globe. Author Tom Kane skates across oft-told history while highlighting less-known aspects of early 20^th-century life. His book is free on Amazon, giving readers no excuse to savor this riveting historical thriller.

 

 

 

Red Goblin #9 Review

 

Writer: Alex Paknadel

Penciler: Chris Campana

Inker: Roberto Poggi

Colorist: David Curiel

Letterer: Travis Lanham

Cover Artist: Kendrick “Kunkka” Lim

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 4, 2023

 

Normie Osborn, the son of Harry Osborn and Liz Allan, has a friend. His name is Rascal, and he was a gift from Dylan Brock. Will Venom’s generosity result in tragedy? Let’s leap into Red Goblin #9 and find out!

 

Story

Like Peter Parker, young Normie’s always seen the best in his friend. But Rascal’s hunger for violence has influenced Norman Osborn’s grandson. Normie partnered with Miles Morales to find his missing schoolmate. But knowing Spider-Man wouldn’t let him kill Phil Urich, Normie gave Miles the slip and Rascal free reign.

 

Rascal tries to comfort Normie. He won't let Normie turn them in to the authorities, so he goes after a boy who attacked Normie at school. Latching onto his host’s painful memory, Rascal runs to Harry Osborn's grave. He digs into the soft earth and exhumes Normie's father. If he crushes Harry's remains, might that bring Normie peace?

 

As the relationship between Normie and his grandfather has dominated this series, Norman Osborn finds the symbiote and confronts him. Unlike his grandson, Norman never believed in the symbiote's potential for good. But can the Gold Goblin take down Rascal in Red Goblin #9? And can Normie reassert control over his violent symbiote?

 

Red Goblin action figure available at Amazon.com

 

 

Art

As Quinton and his parents watch evening news reports about Normie’s disappearance, their disdain for Norman Osborn and his Oz-Spawn is evident. Rascal looks menacing as he captures the bully but freaks out when the family dog leaps to the rescue. The Gold Goblin makes interrogating a member of Urich’s Goblin Gang old hat. Yet Normie’s memories of his father’s death evoke pages from a medieval manuscript. Symbiotic artists Chris Campana and Roberto Poggi combine entrancing art styles that build toward a concussive confrontation in Red Goblin #9.

 

Stars shine in the dark skies above Quinton's house in Manhattan's Upper West Side. Dim interior lighting reveals the detectives questioning Tim Anders. Norman's gold faceplate shows reflections of the green-covered Goblin Gangster as he stands on a roof under a bright blue sky. Brown, orange, red, beige, and yellow color Normie’s memories. Yet red dominates this issue, as David Curiel emphasizes that Rascal rocks Red Goblin #9!

 

Black uppercase words inhabit white dialogue balloons. Rascal's hisses appear as white letters in red balloons. Light green narrative boxes reveal Normie's thoughts as he tries to reign in Rascal's excesses. Travis Lanham makes Alex Paknadel’s heartrending drama poignant through his colorful dialogue and violent sound effects.

 

Final Thoughts

A child’s optimism turns to agony when he crosses the line in Red Goblin #9. Next time Dylan Brock feels generous, perhaps he should give Norman Osborn’s grandson a gift certificate to Chuck E. Cheese.

 

Rating 9.2/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Blunt Force Trauma Review

 

Adam Cash served two terms in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Jeff Kerr's novel Blunt Force Trauma, he's returned to his hometown of Pinyon, Texas. Yet despite his service to his country, a university degree, and training at a police academy in Austin, he’s stuck doing odd jobs. When Sheriff Turner—a high school rival—rejects his application, Adam’s had enough. If Adam can’t belong in this small town, he’ll rule it as the new sheriff!

 

Trained to return enemy fire, Adam makes a poor impression as a political candidate. Yet the morning after losing the election to his rival, deputies find the sheriff's body. As the evidence piles up, all fingers point Adam's way. Forget innocent until proven guilty. Adam must find the sheriff's killer to avoid prison in Blunt Force Trauma.

 

Adam's far from perfect in Jeff Kerr's novel. His yearning to see the world left his girlfriend's life in tatters. A drunken one-night stand left another woman with a child to raise. Jack’s hair-trigger anger, his penchant for endangering his friends, and a sense of entitlement make him far from perfect. Yet Adam’s not a murderer. Now, if only he can prove it.

 

Jeff Kerr paints a scathing portrait of small-town Texan life in Blunt Force Trauma. Corruption and greed plague the innocent and make good people's lives miserable. Can one good man balance the scales and make Pinyon a town worth living in again? Pair this High Plains Drama with chocolate milk and cookies, and find out!  

 

For more see Jeff Kerr's website or preorder your copy at amazon.com

Bettie Page #4 Review

 

Writers: Mirka Andolfo & Luca Blengino

Artists: Elisa Ferrari, Mara Angelilli & Tommaso Ronda

Colorists: Maura Gulma & Francesca Vivaldi

Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry

Cover Artists: Joseph Michael Linsner; Leirix; Rebeca Puebla; Mirka Andolfo; Cosplay

Publisher: Dynamite

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 27, 2023

 

Lisa Cosmi wants to marry Paolo Raviolo. Their opposing mafia families forbid the match. The Sicilian lovebirds eloped. Then they got separated. Can Bettie reunite the couple without getting shot by singing sniper Spartaco Serpe? Why not leap into Bettie Page #4 and find out?

 

Story

Two Cosmi clods kidnapped Paolo. Raviolo robbers ran off with Lisa. But no one told the crooning killer. Karen and her paramour Davide race across rooftops to seize the signing sniper. Spartaco got off his shot while trilling Nel Dipinto Di Blue and escaped their clutches.

 

Unfortunately for him, Benjamin got in the way of bringing Bettie a pizza. Guess what splattered red all over her hotel room? Guess what Bettie has been craving since issue #1 and still does?

 

The rival families decide to do a swap. But that will not reunite the lovebirds. Can Bettie, Karen, and Benjamin help Lisa and Paolo realize their dreams?

 

The complex story structure demands that the gears driving this story mesh. Thankfully, Bettie Page #4 ties everything together. While inspired by Shakespearian tragedy, the fun farce ends with a comedic but realistic take on how life often takes us in unexpected directions.

 

Art

Elisa Ferrari, Mara Angelilli, and Tommaso Ronda relate Bettie, Karen, and Benjamin's matchmaking mission with classic Disney appeal. Panels could be stills taken from an animated movie. Characters are expressive and eye-pleasing. Towns, rustic cottages, and scenic landscapes are alluring. Backgrounds rarely fade away in Bettie Page #4.

 

Maura Gulma and Francesca Vivaldi fill scenes with nuanced color. Backgrounds may change color in successive panels but remain pleasing. While ranging from soft to vibrant, the rich coloring shows highlights and shadows without relying on gray.

 

The black dialogue in white balloons is easy to read. Colored narrative boxes provide good contrast. Jeff Eckleberry shrinks the print in white narrative boxes. Sound effects heighten the action in Bettie Page #4. Occasionally, they overtake panels in the final movement of this symphony sparked by famed film maestro Eugenio Vitelloni.

 

Final Thoughts

Italian lovers fight their families for the freedom to fix their future in Bettie Page #4 but find life fussier than fairy tales.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Dead Lucky #9 Review

 

Writer: Melissa Flores

Artist: French Carlomagno

Colorist: Mattia Iacono

Letterer: Becca Carey

Cover Artists: Rod Reis

Publisher: Image

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 27, 2023

 

Georgia has fielded reporters' questions since news leaked of Team Dead Lucky's demise. She can't even enjoy her morning workout or coffee without interruption. Have reports of Bibiana’s death been greatly exaggerated? Let’s charge into Dead Lucky #9 and find out!

 

Story

Her former friend Ghost spent the last issue convincing Bibiana that he hadn’t died. Instead, he survived the helicopter crash that ended her military career. In Dead Lucky #9, he spends more time convincing her that he survived. Only he doesn’t go by Ghost anymore. “Call me Pyre,” he insists.

 

At Morrow Corporation headquarters, Bibi braves Valentine’s ire. The company executive threatens to throw her in prison for not reporting in. But that doesn’t stop Georgia—the woman who designed Bibi’s suit--from welcoming her back home.

 

Does Bibi realize Pyre followed her home? Her reactions in San Francisco suggest surprise. Yet the final scene in Jordan suggests accord. At Fisherman's Wharf, Pyre and the masked mercenary Stoker are up to no good. Unlike Bibiana, they make no bones about taking down Morrow. The company’s peacekeeping robots seem as good a place as any to start.

 

After extending a conversation that should have finished in the last issue, Dead Lucky #9 still fails to explain what happened to Bibi’s team in Jordan. We haven’t seen them since issue #7. Did Pyre capture or kill them? Bibi suffered from PTSD after losing her special forces team. Yet she hasn't mentioned her former Salvation Gang soldiers for two issues.

 

Aside from her current teammates, Dead Lucky #9 fails to address a significant plot point involving her failed mission and Jimmi Morrow. The issue also mentions an ongoing character without reminding readers of her significance. Still, Melissa Flores excels when delving into Bibi's relationships and ends her story with a spectacular battle.

 

Art

Aside from the first few pages, French Carlomagno’s art provides compelling portraits of characters in realistic settings. Varied camera angles add interest and the streets of San Francisco beckon. Clad in their superhero suits, Bibi and Pyre have tremendous appeal. Perhaps some character movements look wooden, and a snapped cellphone image needed better resolution. Still, the climactic battle involving humans and robots crackles with power.

 

Mattia Iacono makes a strong case for why readers should pick up Dead Lucky #9. Vibrant colors energize action scenes and draw readers into drama. The nuanced coloring adds interest even to the occasional scene lacking backgrounds.

 

Becca Carey carries readers through Dead Lucky #9 with uppercase black letters in white dialogue balloons. Exchanges between the robots appear as white letters in a red field or red letters in white ones. Sound effects are employed sparingly but rarely missed.

 

Final Thoughts

After a friend’s return from the dead rocks Bibiana’s world, he threatens to destroy everything she’s worked for in Dead Lucky #9.

 

Rating 8.6/10

 

To show Dispatch how much you enjoy my writing see my review at Comic Book Dispatch!

Invincible Iron Man #10 Review

 

Writer: Gerry Duggan

Artist: Juan Frigeri

Colorist: Bryan Valenza

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

Cover Artists: Lucas Werneck; Chris Allen & David Curiel; Cafu; Meghan Hetrick; Bob Layton & Paul Mounts; George Pérez & Edgar Delgado

Publisher: Marvel

Price: $4.99

Release Date: September 27, 2023

 

Industrialist Kelvin Heng, a.k.a. Feilong, bought Stark Unlimited via a hostile takeover. He used Tony Stark's proprietary technology to aid Orchis' attacks on mutants by building thirty-foot-tall Stark Sentinels. Tony's bid to destroy the Sentinels ended with Rhodey, a.k.a. War Machine, in prison.

 

Forced to comply with a court order, Tony deleted his B.O.S.S. operating system and gave Feilong his Mark 70 armor. Can Tony Stark free Rhodey, turn the tables on Feilong, and save mutants everywhere from the evil Orchis organization? Let's blast into Invincible Iron Man #10 and find out!

 

 

Story

Feilong is all about the show. He gets a guard to hand Rhodey a cell phone, then uses a masked servant at the Hellfire Club to bring Tony Stark one. Feilong arrives in time to watch Tony listen while inmates beat Rhodey to death. Thankfully, Tony's made a deal with Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, the new White King of the Hellfire Club. The big man's got friends in places high and low. That includes the Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas, one of the harshest prisons in the United States.

 

Feilong doesn't realize that Tony could kill him at any time. Disguised as his assistant Hazel Kendal, Emma Frost would like nothing better than to use her psychic powers to fry his brain. But that wouldn't stop Orchis from hurting mutants or inciting hatred across the globe. Feilong holds all the cards, and Tony's only got one viable play. As readers of X-Men #26 know, opportunity strikes when you least expect it.

 

 

 

Feilong doesn't miss an opportunity to disadvantage Tony Stark in Invincible Iron Man #10. When he sees Tony hustle Hazel into a side room, he intrudes on Tony's privacy. Feilong misinterprets the inhibitor ring Tony wants Emma to wear for a wedding band. To see the former billionaire bachelor settling down with his secretary must smell like victory. How else can you explain Feilong following Tony and Emma to Las Vegas? Now that he's broken Tony, Feilong can help Tony rebuild his life. So long as Tony knows who's the boss.

 

Feilong doesn't realize Las Vegas is all a show for him. Or perhaps not all. Tony Stark's got practical reasons for slipping into Sin City apart from a shotgun wedding. Still, after Wilson Fisk lost his wife at the Hellfire Gala, Tony Stark gets a wife in Invincible Iron Man #10. Wilson Fisk wants Typhoid Mary back. Emma wants out of the relationship ASAP. As for what Tony wants, time will tell.

 

 

Art

Juan Frigeri portrays Tony Stark's reversal of fortune with imagery that celebrates Iron Man's rich history in Invincible Iron Man #10. Scenes inside the Hellfire Club marry well with those in X-Men #26. Colorist Bryan Valenza helps prison scenes hum with drama and surprise with explosive action. Some favorite moments include seeing images of Howard Stark, Tony clad in his first Iron Man suit, and the rented red Ferrari parked outside the aptly-named Gamble Of Love wedding chapel.

 

 

 

Joe Caramagna's dialogue occasionally shrinks in Invincible Iron Man #10, but most are easier to read than in X-Men #26. I especially like the typewritten narrative in light-blue boxes. Ostensibly extracts from Tony's memoir, they don't impress Emma Frost. Still, Tony Stark's autobiography could prove a best seller and fund his next financial empire.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

Desperate situations call for unlikely partnerships and desecrating sacred institutions in Invincible Iron Man #10.

 

Rating 9.8/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.

Traveling To Mars #8 Review

 

Writer: Mark Russell

Artist: Roberto Meli

Colorist: Chiara Di Francia

Letterer: Mattia Gentili

Cover Artists: Roberto Meli; Mili Montlló; & Emanuele Gizzi; Brent McKee

Publisher: Ablaze

Price: $3.99

Release Date: September 20, 2023

 

Twenty years hence, dwindling resources drive people into the streets. As states invoke martial law to quell riots and corporations battle to control Earth’s remaining resources, can one man succeed where governments failed? Let’s warp into Traveling To Mars #8 and find out!

 

Story

Roy Livingstone is a dying man. Unlucky in love and business, he faces his final days alone. Why not do something for his planet before his cancer kills him? So he boards a ship with two robots and shoots into space. If he can stake claim to Mars’ mineral wealth, perhaps he'll feel like he contributed to a better future and can bask in the glow of reaching another planet. That is until his oxygen runs out.

 

It's been six long months, but Roy’s finally arrived. As he prepares to leave the Erimhon, Roy indulges in a final morning of escapism. Packing up prompts reflections on what drives Human progress. A chat with folks back home grants insight into how we chart our journey through life. As his shuttle descends, Traveling To Mars #8 suggests that knowing you will die soon doesn't rob fear of its power.

 

Perhaps it’s unrealistic to believe we could build a space elevator in the next two decades, let alone set up an interplanetary supply system. Mark Russell dreams big in his satire-laced Traveling To Mars #8, even suggesting we could terraform Mars in a few generations! With corporations in the United States regularly traveling outside Earth's atmosphere and other countries getting into the Space Race, perhaps Russell's vision isn't impossible. Should Humanity realize his vision, let's hope the situation on Earth isn't as dire as he paints it.

 

Art

Roberto Meli delivers action aplenty, with kangaroos punching cowboys, a drone racing toward an oil platform, and Roy's shuttle hurtling through Martian skies. Even smaller moments—like the glances Roy shares with his robots—shine thanks to lifelike portrayals and attention to detail. We see how life has ground Roy down through his expressions and movements. Yet the Martian future he imagines inspires awe.

 

The red planet casts a warm glow into space as Traveling To Mars #8 opens. Stars twinkle as the Erimhon travels through the multi-hued vacuum. The blue-and-white robot Albert plants a flag in the yellow, orange, and red regolith while Roy stands bemused beneath a textured lavender sky. Light sources gleam, and highlights and shadows ground characters and structures. Pages shine thanks to the depth and nuance Chiara Di Francia creates with his vast array of appealing colors.

 

Mattia Gentili reveals the characters’ speech with black uppercase words in white dialogue balloons. Roy’s thoughts appear as lowercase words in colored boxes. The latter may strain the eyes as Mark Russell dishes out an ample serving of narrative-driven drama. Yet balloon and box sizes scale nicely within panels. Like Roy, we're amazed he arrives in one piece, thanks to the colorful and expressive sound effects that convey the shuttle's high-speed descent.

 

Final Thoughts

As Roy reaches his destination, Traveling To Mars illustrates the coming apocalypse and hints there's still time to make our future brighter.

 

Rating 9/10

 

For more cover art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.