Aris had so much fun last week that he came back for more!
Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #3
Written by Greg Pak
Art by Mirko Colak, Cory Smith, and Lauren Affe
This my first review of the new Dynamite series, but I read the first two and was eagerly awaiting this series as well as Magnus Robot-Fighter and Solar since it was announced that Dynamite secured the rights and was launching new books. Heck I had been eagerly awaiting them a few years back when the brand spanking new Valiant was announced. I always loved the characters, and I really enjoyed the original Shooter led Valiant of the 90’s. So far Dynamite has launched Turok and Magnus and both books are as good if not better than those Valiant comics…definitely worthy of their pedigree and the price of picking up these series.
Basically all you need to know about the Turok book is what seems like the peaceful but tribal time of pre-colonial America gets invaded by European settlers/conquistadors looking for land and treasure and they brought DINOSAURS with them. And as you would think they could care less about the natives and then all hell breaks loose. Two issues in, Turok’s tribe is decimated and after barely escaping with his life befriends a velociraptor thing as well as handling some personal business along the way with some tribal rivals who never treated him too good. We are left with him and his tribe picking up pieces after the massacre and the invaders out for blood.
Issue #3 continues pretty much as expected with Turok and what’s left of his people trying to make sense of the recent events and mourn the dead with a pretty little captive in tow. The book is extremely well paced and I think the writing and dialogue do a lot to help make the reader feel invested. In the beginning of the book the natives turn to each other trying hold on to tradition with their mourning of the dead despite Turok’s pleas to move on because the danger of the invaders looms..and yet turn to him for leadership as he steps up, despite having much to resent from his people. They move on, eventually, and the invaders set out to seek get their little flower back who seems to be rather calm for a captive among “savages”. The invaders let loose one of their dragon/lizard bird Dinosaurs along with a search party and the action hits…BOOM. The book explodes into a great chase, and when it seems things are bad for Turok and the beast is on him..his friend Dinosaurs comes in with the last minute save…but he’s much smaller and they have to run…leaving us waiting for more action next issue.
The story is awesome, and so much is conveyed along the way to give the story weight. Its not cookie cutter, and it’s interesting that you have mammoths and dinosaurs mixed in…you have no idea if this is Earth or some other fictional place, yet it all seems right. The dynamics in the groups are interesting and well handled, and you get the sense that it will be a joy to learn the history of this place as much as the adventure that is unfolding page after page. I like Turok as the unlikely hero…he is an interesting character here. Greg Pak does an excellent job not letting the book be too heavy. It’s an action adventure you remember loving as a kid done right.
The art is absolutely perfect for the book. Sure it’s not the best art you will ever see, I had never heard of the artist prior to the first issue, but gosh darn it…Mirko Colak is perfect for this book. The right amount of detail and mirth and ability to convey action and gesture. It’s really refreshing to see a book not depending on super stylization or leaning on Anime tropes and designs. It has a very classic feel without being dated. As good as the lineart is for the book what makes it really shine is the colors. Lauren Affe adds texture and tone with color selections and styling that really goes with the tone and time period and subject matter in the book. It is perfection.
Dynamite has done a fantastic job so far with this book. It isn’t a superhero type book, it’s action adventure with Dinosaurs, Native Americans, and Knights and lord knows what else is coming. It’s a worthy addition to any pull list and I highly recommend it. Not to mention I got this with an awesome Bart Sears cover, which really cements that Dynamite respects the history and nostalgia fans have with the most recent incarnations of the character. That says a lot to an old timer like me.
A fresh and refreshing book.
8 out of 10
Oh and if you aren’t reading Manifest Destiny from Image Comics…Go buy that too!
