Action Lab Entertainment 2016
Written by Dino Caruso
Illustrated by Chad Cicconi
Coloured by Crimzon Studio
Lettered by Adam Wollet
This issue opens up with a look at Lamont as a younger man and that point in time when he made the decision he was going to start a settlement on another planet. We also get to see his best friend at the time, and fellow soldier Wardell. I have to say when Wardell swooped in to save Lamont I really saw shades of Buck Rogers. It’s a nice look back and kind of reminds me of “the straw that broke the Camel’s back” moment for Lamont. That of course was the moment the realisation that this town would come into being was cemented.
Back to the present we go and to the Last Resort. Every frontier town in every settlement in the galaxy is going to have a place like this. Run by mother and daughter and a slew of girls who are willing to make a buck off lonely men who work the mines, fields or keep the peace, soldiers and lawmen. It’s here we can find Wardell and Charlotte looking for Jasper. The loudmouthed know it all crooked piece of you know what we met last issue. It seems it’s time for Wardell to nip his attitude in the bud before it becomes a bigger problem.
I like the writing and characterisation we get here. This town is a frontier town and you populate it with those who are willing to move off Earth and sometimes you can’t be too picky about whom you let in. You’ll have those that think they can do a better job of things than what’s in place, who have lower scruples and morals but want to make a power play. Jasper is a perfect example of one of those types.
While Wardell, Charlotte and Jasper are having their conversation Lamont is having a surprise encounter of his own. This is almost the perfect opportunity for something to come along and cause a major change in this little town. With what happens here and some folks with big mouths and small brains the locals could be riled up into a mob mentality and a new regime is put into place. One that would definitely make matters a lot worse than they already are. After all they are strangers on this planet and being allowed a place to settle and call their own, it’s not as if they are native to the planet though some seem to think of it as theirs now. Typical thinking for some monkey addled brained no good blowhards.
Chad does a very nice job on the interiors here. The use of page layouts with their angles and perspective are innovative and fantastic to see. The two page spread toward the end is a nice piece of work I must say. The use of backgrounds is great they work to really showcase the world they live on now and the environment of where they are. The characters have their own nice detail about them that make them unique and easy to identify, the emotions from them are well read, from Wardell’s exasperation to Jasper’s cockiness.
Oh with the revelation of what’s happened and who did what to whom on the last few pages things are no longer clear in my head about what’s really going on. Is there a conspiracy or was it happenstance or is there some scheme going on that we aren’t aware of yet? It’s a nice bit of writing to confuse the heck out of me like this i’ll give it that.
This is turning into one heck of a nice sci-fi frontier mystery thriller and that’s something to see!