Action Lab Danger Zone 2016
Written by Shawn Gabborin
Illustrated by Daniel J. Logan
Coloured by Dan Olvera
Halloween night, 1989. An unknown creature steps out of a long forgotten cave beneath the Bodega Bay Inn. While their master sleeps, the Puppets fight back to protect her from this mysterious intruder. Join us as the Puppets dive headfirst into another beloved subgenre: the creature feature!
I have been a fan and advocate of the Puppet Master series since it debuted with Action Lab Danger Zone. This time around i’m kind of blown away because it’s mostly told through the artwork. The dialogue comes at the end and it’s just as important and powerful as we throughout but it takes on a whole different aspect at that point. What is one thing becomes another and it’s truly kind of horrifying and embodies what it is the franchise is about.
There had to have been some stellar conversation between Shawn and Daniel here to get this to come out the way it did. From the moment this book starts the mood, tone and feeling that Daniel and Dan bring is amazing. The way the page layouts are used through angles, perspective and the use of backgrounds really do this absolutely spectacular job in how we view what’s happening.
I was fascinated as I watched this creature exit the cave and make it’s way to the Bodega Bay Inn. As it encounters the Puppets and is looking through the bedrooms in search of someone. The only person there is the current Puppet Master. How it’s able to survive so many attacks and keeps going where you think wow this thing is going to be able to get past them. It’s kind of endearing to see that they are there protect her while she sleeps and makes you start rooting for them to defeat this creature.
Then the true nature of the Puppets is revealed and nothing is what it appears to be. Shawn took us this amazing journey and thanks to Daniel and Dan the emotions are crystal clear. Then suddenly the script gets flipped and the world goes topsy turvy and you are left with this whole what the hell moment. This seriously took me by complete surprise and it turned this creature feature type story into something much darker.
Shawn keeps surprising me with his talent and the way he’s able to craft a story from start to finish. This time around it’s even more impressive with so little dialogue. That he can write a story have the boys bring it to visually and still surprise, scare and even mystify you by what happens is something so rare. His handling of this franchise is why I speak so highly of it and why i’m constantly telling you that this is a series you need to be reading.