Thanks to our friends at the The Gaming Liberty we have two reviews from Atomic Basement Comics.
Lets get the ball rolling with…..
The Ghosts of Marko Darc #1
We don’t learn too much about Marko Darc in this first issue of his comic. What we do learn is that he’s ex Special Forces, has an eye patch, knows a little something about magic and he hates demons. You can think of him as a cross between Hellboy and John Constantine. The comic itself is split into three different parts, each called fables, each by different artists and all written by Steve J Palmer. Each of these parts has a different focus on part of the life of Marko Darc and those around him, all of which add to what has happened, happening and yet to come.
Part number one, drawn by Guy LeMay, introduces us to the character of Marko Darc himself. There is not much of a back story here and it seems that this part is designed simply to show us what the character is about and what he can do. In this way it works effectively enough but it feels more like it is a preview of the comic then an introduction. LeMay’s art is adequate but nothing ground breaking, while somewhat stylised it very much has that indie comic look to it, and while yes this is indeed an indie comic I felt that it lacked a layer of polish that could have lifted it higher. Part two, drawn by Chris Dyer, shifts focus onto a different character, not quite a Demon, but far from Angelic, we have a mischief. Now this particular Mischief is tucked away in his own corner of purgatory but has dreams of making it to the higher plain, and a plan that involves Marko Darc. This part seems to be setting up the overall story and plot for future issues. Seeing as the first part gave very little of what is to come I like that the second part is focused completely on it. Chris Dyers art is my favourite out of this particular book, his slightly cartoonish take on the centre character fits perfectly into the tone of the part and at times even reminded me of Darick Robinsons art in Transmetropolitan. Part three, drawn by Christopher Booth, is the looking back section of the book. Here we see the origin of Marko Darc as a boy and how it is that he is doing what he is doing and his introduction to the world of Demons. This particular part has a darker more down to earth feel to it the parts before it and Christopher Booth does a good job of giving us a grounded looking comic to suit, much like with Guy LeMay though, while I liked the art, I found it to be just short of being that much better.
I never like when a comic (especially a first issue) ends and you still don’t know if it is going anywhere, but luckily this comic avoids this completely. The past, present and future approach is something that really worked for me and an excellent idea. The one major complaint I have is that because the comic is split up the way it is I didn’t feel like I was getting enough. Still though if you are a fan of books like Hellboy and Hellblazer then I recommend reading The Ghost of Marko Darc.
7/10
Z-Blade XX #1 & #2
After a brutal assault ex-marine Ryan Zillion awakes with mysterious powers linked to Z-particles. With a shiny new suit of armour and help from his French-Canadian scientist friend Claude( or Doc B if you like), Z-Blade protects the city of Lucidity from criminals like “Long Tall Swallow”, gangs with a disco theme and his biggest treat “The Insomniac”.
There are two things you need to know right off the bat; first off the world that Steve J. Palmer, Guy LeMay and Reed Greenfield have created is one that is definitely not meant to be taken seriously. Silly one-liners, over the top bad guys and some genuinely funny dialog make a fun and entertaining read. Secondly, this is not a comic for children… it really isn’t. Z-Blade isn’t afraid to push past it’s cartoonish looks with with strong language, strong violence and gay porn star villians.
The highlight of this book for me was Steve J. Palmers dialogue, especially between the two main characters. Too often when you have a Hero/Scientist relationship in a comic they seem to spend more time bickering than anything else, thankfully while Ryan and Claude do indeed do their share of bickering, they really do seem like they are actually friends. Bad guy dialogue is another plus from me, I actually found myself laughing out loud at some points simply over the absurdness of what they were saying. Unlike in The Ghosts of Marko Darc Guy LeMay handles this comic completely on his own and I feel that his cartoonish style suits it perfectly. This is the kind of book that more suits his style and he does an excellent job capturing the tongue in cheek humour and ludicrous situations.
I had a lot of fun with Z-Blade XX and if you are looking for a comic that doesn’t take itself too seriously and isn’t afraid to let loose then I think you will too.
8/10
If you are looking for either of these titles or want to see what else is on offer than head on over to www.atomicbasement.com to get your order in.
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