Black Mask Studios 2019
Written by Matt Miner
Illustrated by Creees Lee
Coloured by Josh Jensen
Lettered by Matt Krotzer
Synopsis:
A pair of young vigilantes break into a black market laboratory where illegal tests are being run on animals. What at first seems like a simple rescue mission becomes more dangerous when they stumble on secret military experiments, discovering to their horror that the animals they sought to help have been turned into something different, something monstrous... and, once the cages are opened, the rescuers quickly become the prey of these weaponized beasts. This high-octane action comic blends vigilante heroics with sci-fi horror for a wildly new adventure.
When I saw this I got excited because I remember reading it before, not this run but previous arcs, or one arc I can’t remember which. So I am actually thrilled to see that this is back once more for some illegal saving of animal lives, putting themselves on the line, action/thriller madness. The opening here is perfectly done as it piques the curiosity and makes you want to see and know more. I like the feeling that exudes from this, it’s night, dark and creepy and when we see our first test subject and you get the feeling this could be a horror styled thriller, but is it?
What comes next is rather interesting and if you are not familiar with this franchise then this is how you are going to catch up to speed. This is a completely new reader friendly introduction while the subject matter might not be friendly that’s something else altogether. I do like how we see Daniel and his impact on the group and especially Jeanette. The way that Matt is able to do this now and then style of storytelling and make it so effective in bringing these characters to life is extremely nice to see. The characterisation we see through actions, reactions and dialogue show us what has been happening in their lives and hopefully we’ll see what kind of impact these events will have on their future or present as the case may be. Matt shows us things that not only extremely character defining but showcase how far people are willing to go and what happens when boundaries are crossed. I look forward to see where Matt is going to take this.
The interiors here are utterly marvellous! The linework is gorgeous with the strength I see in them with their varying weights utilised to create such amazing attention to detail. Faces, facial expressions and the overall mood, tone and feel that the work brings to the story is immeasurable. The only thing really missing here are backgrounds, there just aren’t enough of them being utilised which is a shame considering how well the composition of the panels are done. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show such a good strong, solid eye for storytelling. The creativity and imagination on that last alone was the kind of shocking cliffhanger ending that is so visually stunning it’s something you never forget once you’ve seen it.
With the way the story & plot development is constantly moving forward and getting us to see these characters so intently gives me goosebumps. The pacing and the character development that accompanies the storyline is so good and so surprisingly intense that we just cannot help but be in an almost constant state of shock and awe. This is one of those stories where you think it’s about one thing but that one thing is simply a catalyst for what else happens in this issue.
Matt impresses me more and more with each story of his that I read and one thing has become abundantly clear, the man is going to be a force within the industry as he understands how to use his skill and talent to take something and flip it on it’s ear making it so much more than you could have thought it would be.