
Amigo Comics 2019
Written by Massimo Rosi
Illustrated by Luca Panciroli
Coloured by Pamela Poggiali
Lettered & Logo by Monkey Typers
Everything falls into a spiral of panic. Alien invasion is wiping out our planet's resources and spreading a pandemic that could make Humankind extinct. The only thing that stands between annihilation and us is... just a family and the giant combat robot they designed: The Emerald Tyrant.
There are a few things I can be sure of, Amigo Comics will always put out strong interesting books and Massimo never disappoints me. I love the idea behind this story and as we see the Golem's attacking and absorbing cities and people alike with no idea what it really is well that's how a writers imagination and creativity comes to life. The idea that they are a virus is one that intrigues me and it engages me. How so you ask?, well by thinking it's a virus I run scenarios through my mind as to what their purpose would be. Like are they cleansing the planet for another race to come in and settle the planet? There are more but that's just one example of how my mind, imagination and creativity comes to life thanks to what I see on the page.
The way that this is being told is kind of brilliant. The opening with the diary of Dr. Malcolm Winston Campbell and his fervent plea or declaration to help save the world, or what's left of it, as he pledges all the resources he and his family have is fantastic stuff. I can't help but wonder what the ulterior motive behind it is, however, as no one is this altruistic even in the most dire of times.
The story & plot development that we see through the way that the sequence of events unfolds and how the reader learns information is laid down extremely well. The different places, people who have various wants and needs is a lot to handle but here it's done with such aplomb. The character development is marvellous to see being revealed. As the characters get more time on the page they get those moments where we see more of what they are about and with that it means we want to see and know more. Particularly if we aren't one of their fans. The pacing is solid and the way it takes us on a journey through the pages it reveals those twists and turns that take mind in a myriad of directions. The ebb & flow that is created here is really rather extraordinary to experience.
The interiors here are gorgeous. The linework is incredibly strong and how we see the varying weights to bring out this level of attention to detail is fantastic. Now I will say I kind of applaud seeing some familiar faces here, Sean Connery, Christopher Walken, James Brolin and Danny Glover in roles that are perfect for them is amazing. It brings this true cinematic feel to the artwork and I have to say it's an unexpected quality that isn't what you think is going to happen. The utilisation of the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show a very strong and talented eye for storytelling. The utilisation of backgrounds and how they work within the composition inside the panels bring us depth perception, scale and a sense of size and scope to the book. The colour work is sensational! That plaid pattern in Ryan's shirt makes me want one of my own in those exact colours. The way that we see the hues and tones within the colours create the shading, highlights and shadows are done by someone with a gorgeous eye for colour and how they should be utilised.
As the tension mounts within the story and we see how characters act and behave we begin to see how humanity isn't able to come together in times of need. Luke, who looks incredibly odd, for example can't seem to stop harassing Ryan and this will lead to a confrontation be disastrous down the road. I love how the story engages the reader, so we feel what the characters do and how it's able to form connections between readers' and characters. This is one of those must not miss series that's flying under the radar.