Action Lab: Danger Zone 2015
Written by Shawn Gabborin
Illustrated by Michela Da Sacco
Coloured by Yann Perrelet
Shawn and this series have to be in contention for best new series of the year because yes this may be a horror franchise that has a great cult status but what we see him doing here with these puppets and turning them into characters with their own personalities, which by the way are incredibly well demonstrated by Michela and Yann, and showcasing their desire for a life outside their wooden bodies has made the series and what happens in the story itself all the more interesting and thrilling to see.
Sure we open this issue with one heck a great murder scene and you’ll wonder why but all is made clear as the story goes on. The man who was murdered had two days previously visited a fortune teller of sorts and enlisted her aid in something incredibly personal to him. She used puppets, lifeless ones that she could put the lifeforce of her clients inside so they may animate it and bring about their own brand of revenge or justice depending on the point of view all the while never wanting to know what her clients do. Plausible deniability after all is a powerful thing, she does have a requirement they must return the puppet by sunrise.
After seeing what this man wanted to be in his chosen form for well yeah it’s pretty spectacular to see it unfold the way it does. What I found really interesting however is not what he does while in the puppet itself it’s that he’s being watched very closely by Blade. Who then reports back to the others what it is he’s seen. There’s something incredibly interesting in seeing him tail the guy from the shoppe to where he commits his deed being stealthy and all that it just adds another dimension to him.
The second half of the issue really sets up with this story is about. So off they all go to see this woman and find out if she can put them back into human bodies. I have to say I loved their journey to see her, Jester really is among my favorites and his facial expressions alone really make seeing him so much more delightful also seeing him as he watches and listens to the two men who talk about that double murder from the night before yeah this is Shawn and Michela working incredibly well together.
There really is something about his woman that is not to be trusted. While our puppets have a cause and a purpose we know about this woman her reasons are unclear. Perhaps she just enjoys the chaos she can spread but somehow I get the feeling she’s been waiting for this moment to get her hands on Master Toulon’s work and it wouldn’t surprise me if she found new hosts for the puppets and murdered the bodies they have chosen to take as their new hosts. There’s just something even more shady going on here than I can pinpoint but then that’s what Shawn has done well he’s laid the story out, left holes in it and given us some incredible characterization along the way.
Action Lab: Danger Zone isn’t fooling around here cause “Molly you in Danger Girl” has never been more true. This is utterly fantastic and keeps the tradition of the franchise alive and well.