Antarctic Press 2020
Written by David Furr
Illustrated by Joseph Olesco
Coloured by Shannon & Gerilou Smith
Driven by rage and vengeance, the Emperor Scorpion has carved a bloody path across the globe in search of one man: Professor Samuel Kocian, aka, the Crimson Scorpion. Now they are face-to-face, but the professor is no hero. He's a bookworm and an academic oddly gifted with strange abilities he doesn't fully understand. In contrast, the Emperor Scorpion is a battle-hardened veteran who has taken naturally to his newfound powers. What chance does the Crimson Scorpion have against him?
I am such a huge fan of this book. There is something about the way that we are seeing this be told that just hits the notes of nostalgia mixed with today’s sensibility that not surprisingly covers the spectrum of what a fan wants to see. This is among the myriad of reasons that I am thoroughly enjoying this. Then there is the nod to the golden and silver age of comics with not necessarily campy kind of stuff but finding a scorpion god and gaining powers is the more traditional origins that we see in comics. So what David does with that is sensational and all I want is to see more and more.
The way that this is being told is amazing to me. The story & plot development we see through how the sequence of events unfold as well as how the reader learns information is exceptionally well presented. The character development is pretty strong as well and how we see the characters act and react to the situations and circumstances they encounter really show us a lot about who they are. Along with the dialogue David manages to show a few different sides to the characters and they feel almost wholly realised. The pacing here is superb too. How we see the story structured and with the way everything works together to create the story’s ebb & flow is extremely nice to see.
It is fantastical in a lot of ways and it just reminds of the original Blue Beetle and others of his ilk but with a modern sensibility and twist to them. It is easy to see yourself in a few of the characters and also being able to empathise with them is wonderful. There is also the ability to engage the reader which also helps us to connect with the story. It is since to see something serious and yet lighthearted so that it feels like a throwback when it’s anything but.
I am also a big fan of the interiors here as well. The linework here is utterly fabulous and how we see the varying weights being utilised to create the detail work that we see is really mavellous. The way that backgrounds are being utilised makes me a happy fanboy as well because they not only enhance the moments but they also showcase some great depth perception, a sense of scale and that overall sense of size and scope to the story. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a tremendous eye for storytelling. Love the colour work we see here as well. How the various hues and tones are utilised for the shading, highlights and shadow work make some really beautiful moments.
This is a modern classic superhero comic and the way it’s being told and we see the layers within the story is exactly the kind of stuff the market needs right now. Without having to worry about reboots or retcons this is the superhero storytelling from my youth, or the late 70’s through the 80’s which left a huge impression upon me. This is one of the best superhero books on the market see if you agree.