Aftershock Comics 2016
Created & Written by Marguerite Bennett
Illustrated by Rafael De LaTorre
Coloured by Rob Schwager
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
One day for no goddamn reason, the Animals woke up. They started thinking. They started talking. They started taking revenge.
I think Marguerite is a genius and the ideas that come from her brain that she’s able to execute onto paper are some of the most fun, refreshing and at times horrifically confusing things we revel in reading. This isn’t the first time a story is out about animals becoming sentient and rebelling against humans and i’m sure it won’t be the last but it’s the content and how it’s told in this first issue that sets it apart.
Not all animals are going to rebel against humans some love us unconditionally others well not so much. So that we see a full spectrum of that here as the story opens is marvelous. Plus the first two page spread we see of the animals is silent and the second well not so shows that moment they became aware and it’s incredible storytelling.
It all culminates in us meeting Jesse and Sandor, a girl and her dog. By the by it’s nice that they are a Jewish family we don’t see that very often in comics. The story really doesn’t waste much time getting started and that’s a good thing. From the opening to seeing how Sandor protects Jesse we are immediately drawn in and caught up in the fascination and horror of the unfolding events.
I do have one small question how would a Tiger get into an apartment in the city so that we see a showdown between her and Sandor over Jesse? I mean c’mon this I gotta know or did we miss when they busted out of the Bronx Zoo and somehow managed to get in people’s apartments. Don’t get me wrong the showdown here is phenomenal I mean wild big cat versus domesticated dog oh yeah. Plus there are advantages to domesticated animals that spend time in front the television with their humans. That unbreakable bond for one.
Rafael and Rob do some very very nice work on the interiors here. For whatever reason i’m always impressed when animals become this detailed and realistic. It can’t be easy to get the anatomy right or the subtle shading of fur showing the animals age but the guys do a remarkable job on all the animals here. I love the way the pages and panels are used in the flow of the story, particularly those two two-page spreads. The angles and perspective they use and how the impact of the humans/animals interaction goes is totally on point.
So you have to go into this with an open mind and an overactive imagination. It’s science fiction/fantasy/horror blended into this crazy cool thing. I love seeing talented people given a chance to unleash their ideas like this and bring us storytelling on a whole new level.