American Mythology Productions 2016
Written by Mark L. Haynes & J.C. Vaughn
Illustrated by Scottie Watson
Coloured by Gene Jimenez & Dan Conner
Lettered by Natalie Jane
Janus, one of the most brilliant Ancients, is alive and willing to do almost anything to wipe out the Wraith once and for all. As the new alien threat continues to manifest, you’d think that would make him an ally… but you’d be wrong!
Guys whether you are a fan of the show or not this story is going to be excite and thrill readers. It really does have this incredible blend of science fiction and soap opera style storytelling that place these characters in situations which showcase their personalities and skills. Mark and J,C. know this franchise and are able to deliver a television quality story throughout the arc in ways that we don’t get to see elsewhere.
A huge part of the appeal here is the interior artwork. Scottie, Gene and Dan do some excellent work bringing this to life. Not only do the characters possess that likeness to the people who portrayed the characters but the way they can bring the technology, ships the chair and Atlantis itself is incredible to see. The use of page layouts here through angles, perspective and even the use of backgrounds draw you into this and remind you this is a science fiction, action/adventure series.
I like that the guys don’t just focus on Atlantis either even if that’s the main feature here. Offworld where one group is trying to do their thing and have to protect those people from attack while those on the Pegasus are racing to intervene mixed with the guys on Atlantis all conspire to work together to tell a fuller story. It really is a well rounded tale and full of moments that let the reader root for the characters and hope that they can make it out of this unscathed. There’s always a question if someone is going to be captured or killed in a story like this and that we get that kind of tension in the story here is wonderfully done.
Not only is the structuring and pacing of this story impressive but the way that we see the personal interactions is splendid. The dialogue that we see not only advances the story but continues the characterisation and as a fan of the television series I can see the characters saying these lines. It feels like a natural extension of the show and that is a huge bonus factor for me.
A lot of folks like to continue television series in comic book form, it’s a great way to continue telling a franchises tale without that massive overhead, but few can do it as well as these fine folks can. The subject matter itself is perfect for the comics medium and that they can tell stories and put the characters in situations that actors might not always be able to do really does make the story that much more exciting.