
Action Lab Danger Zone 2017
Written & Illustrated by Dan Mendoza
Coloured by Dan Mendoza & Valentina Pucci
Lettered by Adam Wollet
So the origin story continues and honestly i’m liking this a lot more than I would have thought possible. Dan does a great job bringing this story to life and being in control of the words and pictures should never go unnoticed or be underrated because everything we see and read is exactly what he wants us to. I admire a man, or woman, who can write and draw so well as to do what we see here. Plus that this is so much fun and such a kooky kind of oddball series and yet it doesn’t go too far off the rails to be overly silly takes a kind of mad skill.
Ya know I love that the St. Patrick's Day story had me wondering where Ivan was and that this issue actually is where we learn what happens to him so and who or what he becomes. That surprised me and i’m not sure if it was supposed to or not but I love that that fact took me by such complete surprise. It was definitely something I hadn’t seen coming and while i’m going to miss the nerdy guy aspect of him.
Also that this whole thing takes place as they are telling it to Zombie Tramp on the way to get a book is delightful in keeping in this shared universe. Also that Zombie Tramp is not quite a friend and not quite an adversary but potentially she could go either way yeah that’s part of the fun of what’s going on here. Also it’s a good introduction to the character, Zombie Tramp, if you haven’t read her own series as of yet.
Technically speaking I may not be the target audience for this book but even with that I totally am as well. With Lila fighting Elva in the kitchen of Elva’s penthouse and Ivan’s idea on how to help that’s comedic genius right there. It’s also all about someone who hasn’t the first clue about real life supernatural forces and is too caught up in the movie versions that it really grabs your attention and makes you laugh out loud! It’s really about the quality of the writing and storytelling that can make anyone a fan of your book if it’s good enough and let me tell ya this certainly is more than good enough.
I’m also a fan of Dan’s artwork here as well. There’s this cute innocence to what he brings that is at odds with what is happening and I like that duality. So while on it’s surface it appears all-ages it’s really anything but. Plus his eye for storytelling, using page layouts through their angles and perspective are really well done. I’d like more utilisation of backgrounds but i’m that guy who believes they help tell the story more fully.
If you are looking for something outside the ordinary that’s fun quirky and full of the unexpected than I wholeheartedly suggest you find this series. Have your shoppe order them or find the guys at a convention near you, hopefully, or through your subscription service because we all deserve to laugh and be entertained this way!