Dynamite Entertainment 2016
Written by Phil Hester
Illustrated by Brent Peeples
Coloured by Morgan Hickman
Lettered by Simon Bowland
Well dog garnet and damnation what Phil does here just makes this suddenly that much more complicated and interesting. While I wasn’t surprised that it these are alternate timelines how Phil goes about establishing which belongs to which was the real surprise. Still now I want to see more of these “alternate” reality versions and see what kind of stories they can bring to the table. After all we’ve spent so much time getting to know them it would hardly be fair if they were to just disappear.
So in the opening as Magnus is trying to reach I-A and is fighting the familiar silhouette of H-8 and who that turns out to be well that was a nice bit of writing/storytelling. See this why I want to see more of this reality you’ve left us in a quandary here with how this should play out before Magnus is taken to meet with everyone else, he’s been summoned you might say. Much like the Samson segment because honestly he’s the one I know the least and this, this piqued my curiosity and I want to see more of this reality these characters. So Phil and Co. better be working on this!
Summoned is kind of the Key word here as each character goes through their own trials and tribulations that would seemingly either kill them or leave in a state of shall we say of no use to anyone. Each is brought to a place where the one who summoned them is waiting. Turns out it’s a familiar face and the only character we hadn’t seen yet. So it’s no surprise that he bent realities to his will and summoned an army of alternate reality variations of the same characters to his side.
Now naturally before all can be revealed all hell breaks loose. Only to have the day saved by an unexpected arrival or arrivals as the case may be.
Oh my goodness so the last page sets up something for what’s coming and i’m not sure what it really is but if our one “friend” thought he needed to summon the combined might of as many versions as he could then it must be one heck of opponent. But can four individuals rise up, sort out this madness and restore order? That remains to be seen and I got news i’m more anxious than ever to find out!
Oh Brent and how I much I enjoy your interiors. Though nothing will top that last page for me as I kind of fanboyed the whole seeing them like that. The flow he provides is fantastic, the use of angles and perspective are smartly used. The creativity in areas, the Dino Hunter (it who hunts Turok) for instance as well as the animates or hybrids with Samson, are wonderful to see. Do I want more backgrounds, always I think they are too important to always gloss over though Samson had it done well!
This is all kinds of exactly what to do with another company’s established heroes that both pays homage to the past and keeps looking towards the future.