Happy New Year, readers! Here's hoping for a great 2009!We'll kick off this year of comics reviews with a look at the third issue of Gears of War, which is based on the insanely popular video game.
The comic is set in a dystopian future where nasty creatures burrow up into the surface world, killing everyone and destroying everything in sight. Humanity's only defense are the Gears of War - basically, small groups of heavily armed soldiers.
The art on this comic by Liam Sharp is quite good, heavy on detail and intense violence (as you'd expect from this sort of thing). I see some touches of Neal Adams in more than a few panels - and that's a good thing in my book.
The story by Joshua Ortega is pretty thin - it serves mostly as an excuse for the team of Gears to fight lots of monsters. It's not great writing, but he delivers exactly what the reader is probably looking for in this comic, so it's a professional job.
There is a bit of an emotional hook, as the team tries to save the life of a young girl, but the majority of the book is handed over to battling the monsters that live under the ground.
My only beef with this comic is the fact that it's loaded with profanity and graphic violence, but the only indication on the cover is a tiny "Suggested for Mature Readers" in the lower right-hand corner. As a parent, I'd like to see that warning a bit more prominent - it's far too easy to overlook (and I had to search for it).
I know, I'm old-fashioned. I have no problem with Wildstorm putting out comics with adult content - I just want them to be a little more upfront about it.
Anyway, if you're a fan of the videogame, this is for you. If you're looking for an intricate plot, forget it. But it's a fair translation of the violent videogame into a violent comic book.
Grade: B
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