American Gothic Press 2015
Created & Written by Jeremy Robinson
Illustrated by Matt Frank
Coloured by Diego Rodriguez
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
Dang this series is getting to the nitty gritty and it’s so darn good. So while Nemesis is on her rampage and extremely good at hiding despite her size Hudson and his team are doing the best they can to not only find her, track her movements but figure out exactly what she is. The way Jeremy is writing this is pretty spectacular. I really like the progression of how the story unfolds and how information is being given out to us. There’s nothing forced or rushed here it’s all a matter of excellent use of resources, intelligence and good old fashioned research. There’s an intelligence to the writing that is wonderful to see so that it elevates what we expect from a “monster” story into something so much more.
I like that this issue is really focusing on Hudson and his team. Last time around we had a really good strong look at General Lance so it’s nice the focus shifts back here. I’m totally loving that Hudson and Collins still have their very unique relationship full of both work and a smattering of romance while their helicopter pilot is still there. That we haven’t really lost this core group we’ve seen from the first issue is great. Unexpected for sure seeing as how in this kind of story not everyone is expected to survive, at least not by me. Then adding to the mix his two tech support folks and well things are beginning to look up for this motley crew.
The developments we see happening are a combination of the intel gathered and first hand application of that intel. It’s extremely well depicted on page by both words and visuals. It’s funny but it’s not how well Frank and Diego can go full tilt in making Nemesis such an incredibly stunning and visually fearsome creature and yet there are times the regular humans like the man on the boat not so much so. Though it’s really the way they use their imagination, skill and talent to really maximize the impact of what we see through page and panel layouts that make this so incredible.
With the world's fascination with franchises like Godzilla it’s nice to see that Jeremy can find a new take on how to make something so familiar so very much his own. While it has all the elements of those wonderfully cheesy and delightful horror movies it goes beyond that using new mythos as it’s base and weaves not only something very abstract or supernatural or alien, you never really know which, with solid science is great. There’s a freshness and uniqueness here that is hard to establish and that he’s done that is a nod to his own creativity and imagination.
I also like that these characters who find themselves in this situation they are completely and utterly unprepared for are handling it so well. There’s fear and desperation but they use that as a catalyst to keep going and reaching that next level. It’s the sign of a good strong character and characterization that as a reader you’d like to think you relate to. I wonder who’d I’d be in this book, one who’d run away or who’d stay and try to help the world and that’s a huge part of why we love to come back.
Engaging the reader’s senses as fully as this does is a reason why I think it’s more than worth reading.