Action Lab Entertainment 2015
Written by Josh S. Henaman
Illustrated by Andy Taylor
Coloured by Tamra Bonvillain
Lettered by Adam Wollet
Once the sun descended, insect-like hordes of moth-vampires swept over the land. Women and Children were slaughtered in their beds. Grown men were stolen away, never to return. Nothing could prevent the coming of the dark. Nothing could prevent the onslaught. So the people built a beacon. The beacon would become their torch in the night. Far from the nearest settlement, someone would need to keep the great beacons alight. The people turned to criminals to fill the ranks. They turned to the outcasts that wandered the barren desert. Eventually they turned to Bigfoot.
I’ve got to admit I find this all kinds of great fun. Yeah it’s a clear take on Burroughs but this inventive, fun, interesting and quite honestly a hugely successful version for me. Gone is the love affair aspect instead we get companionship, in the form of Bigfoot’s friend, we creatures of the night that need to be dealt with and we get a hero in an unlikely guise. I mean c’mon what more do we need here? Oh and that Bigfoot doesn’t utter a single word is beyond fantastic. This is why I love comics, love small press companies and enjoy the heck of what people clearly love doing.
Oh and Andy and Tamra do a magnificent job on the interiors here. I love the way these moth-vampires look, the various martian species are wonderful and just the commanding presence of Bigfoot through his actions/stances and facial expressions really capture everything about him you need to know. Well that and the narration we get from the little guy who befriended Bigfoot and likes to hear himself talk.
There really is something inherently fascinating in thinking that these folks call him the Earthman. As if he represents our planet and it’s people, or thinking we’re all like him, is one of those interesting aspects that draws you in in the first place. That he acts without speaking and in essence is something of a hero and comes to the aid of whomever needs it gives him this whole mysterious persona that is portrayed in such a way that we’re drawn to him likes moths to a flame.
The way Josh is telling this story is pretty darn well perfect. There’s a lot going on but it’s continual like one thing after another so there really is no rest for the wicked. The only time you’ve got any hope is during the daylight and then fighting all night to stay alive so really things should happen at this breakneck pace. The characterization is marvelous and the story/plot advancement is easy to see, follow and understand. Plus his sidekick is one of those characters we love to see and his own part of this story looks just as promising as Bigfoots.
Forget John Carter because it’s really all about Bigfoot!