Action Lab Danger Zone 2016
Written by Markisan Naso
Illustrated, Lettered & Designed by Jason Muhr
Flatted by Cristian Darstar
Nate wakes up and discovers his damaged shoulder has been replaced with a cybernetic implant. After talking with Gus, he agrees to track down Owen, but just as they begin their search in the Cretaceous they run into Jim. He’s alive, he’s got a grenade launcher and he’s not happy. Back in Blackfossil, Nate’s grandma Maribel has been released from the hospital after suffering a psychological trauma related to memories of mysterious relationship with Tony. She is driven by Nate’s best friend, Starlee, and his girlfriend, Jenna, who have a heart-to-heart about Starlee’s Sheriff brother, Nate and their futures.
I really am a huge fan of this series and that each arc just continues things moving forward instead of ending is a huge bonus. So the events that happen at the end of this issue will be where the next arc starts up. In the meantime wow what the heck is happening here? Markisan seriously went and took us there and then left us hanging. Dude I mean c’mon the cliffhanger is awesome but we’re coming back anyway lol. If you haven’t been reading this then go get volume 1 trade paperback and order this one and you’ll get it.
Just the fact that we are getting this story from so many different angles is fantastic. I mean you’d think that all this Blackfossil stuff was kind of filler but it’s not it has a rhyme and reason behind it and not just because it’s where Nate is cooking his Dinosaurs. There’s more happening here than meets the eye and the people have some surprising secrets in store for us and maybe just maybe they’ll be a reconciliation as well.
However before all that can happen Nate has to stop Jim from killing Gus. I’m kind of with Jim here I mean last thing he knew all hell had broken loose and they’d tried to kill him so turnabout is fair play. Still with the way the story is written, the structure of the story is amazing by the way, things turn on a dime and it’s makes sense how it happens. There’s a trust among characters who share a past and/or secrets that allow for things to move more quickly. Besides the two have been hunting dinosaurs in the past of another planet’s timeline so ya know…..
Jason has some serious chops here. I mean he’s able to keep this kind of all-ages in a manner but his attention to detail is superb. His creativity and imagination that we see is spectacular and just the way he utilises colour on the page really stands out. The page layouts with their angles, perspective and use of backgrounds make the story flow beautifully. Plus the dino’s yeah they are just so frakkin awesome to see brought to life here.
This series came out of nowhere for me to become a staple in my reading. It’s smart, fun, intelligent and has the kind of off-kilter humour that makes it perfect for adults and even teenagers. With some excellent genre mashing that goes above and beyond anything else you’ll find on stands today this is one of the most unique comics around.