Dynamite Entertainment 2016
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by Brent Peeples
Coloured by Morgan Hickman
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Magnus — a secret agent of sorts monitoring the rise of military artificial intelligence and robotics around the globe Turok — a reality television star and tribal park ranger in charge of some rather unique specimens…. Solar — a young doctor on a mission of mercy in an impoverished part of Africa… Samson — a homeless man ranting at unseen monsters on the streets of Manhattan. All drawn together by a force that threatens to tear not only our world apart, but every possible world in the multiverse.
I’ve really gotta hand it to Phil here for what he’s able to do bringing all these characters to the same place in time on a world, timeline, where they shouldn’t cohabitate. Each segment so far has embodied what each character feels like it should, even with a new Solar that with this issue I can appreciate. It’s not easy to re-envision classic character and place them in a modern setting without some major overhauls but from what i’m seeing here this done not only the right way but with a certain aplomb.
That we open with Turok should be a no-brainer as it’s a great opportunity for fans, old and new, to see Brent and Morgan’s work right off the bat to get them to go further into the issue. This dinosaur and the actions we see really are incredibly well done. That first page is a show stopper moment and not only grabs your attention by the collar but seems to demand you see more. Also the characterization here is pretty epic as I would never have thought to put him in this scenario to begin with. He’s smart, intelligent and has a way with these dinosaurs on the reservation and it’s the most brilliant way to keep him updated while staying true to his original appearances.
Magnus has always been one of the more flexible characters to me and what he does sometimes has certain liberties taken. By that I mean i’m never sure what his connection to machines or robots really is in any given story. One thing is certain though that he’s with this organization and still fights for robots rights does make him a complicated man. HIs fighting prowess though is never in question and from what i’m seeing here there’s more to his skills than just that as there is someone off screen helping him out telling him things he shouldn’t otherwise know. Making the mystery deepen here and honestly it’s good stuff.
Now Doctor Solar’s part of the story was illuminating. Okay i’m in with this version and I like the explanation of how she became who she is. Can’t say more without doing spoilers so.
Samson puzzles me the most. He’s also the one i’m least familiar with so what I see here is wonderfully done and makes me wonder if he has some connection to his original timeline still which causes him to appear less mentally stable.
How they all will interconnect remains to be seen. I’m not worried though as Phil’s ability to tell a story is a never in question. What he’s doing here with the set-up has me intrigued as to what will draw them all together as we’ve not seen one big overt catalyst yet. So in words it’s like being on the line with lure in my mouth.
The interiors throughout are pretty amazing. Brent has a great eye for storytelling and how the book needs to come across. From facial expression, angles, and use of perspective including backgrounds keeps him on the more underrated talented artists in the industry.
Dynamite has this uncanny knack for finding the right creators to revitalize these classic characters and keep them fresh time and again.