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Written by Thomas Jane and Steve Niles
Art by Lewis Larosa and Tim Bradstreet
So what’s a primarily science fiction comic book doing on a horror news website? Well, besides the many body parts being sliced up by alien death spiders and because co-writer Steve Niles does primarily horror comics, Bad Planet is probably the best comic book experience on the market. And I’m not even a “sci-fi geek!”
What makes it the best? It gives more than the average comic book, but also, Bad Planet is so polished and perfect, you almost don’t want to touch it. And if that’s the case, buy two then. One to read, and one to admire, or as I like to call it, “one for the box, and one for the throne.” We’ll start with the basics and then add the bonus “DVD-like” features that back up my very bold but true statement.
Right away, the writing grabs the reader by the eyelids and creates not only a preferable, comfortable pace, but one that has them chew on it like a nice, juicy steak. Actor/Writer Thomas Jane (The Punisher, Stander, Boogie Nights) teams up with horror writer master, Steve Niles (30 Days of Night, Criminal Macabre), and delivers a refreshingly original script that is both retro and modern in science fiction. It’s the most difficult combination to pull off these days as many get lost in appraising the old 50’s and 60’s science fiction fare featuring War of the Worlds and Forbidden Planet, but Jane and Niles do the unthinkable: they ADD to it like they live there! While it’s hard not to pay homage to such a cool place in film history, they do pick the good scenes that are not overdone. The most noticeable one being the opener with two aliens piloting a cargo ship in space, reminiscing back to those kooky stoner aliens in Heavy Metal. There’s also a nod to The Thing From Another World, and a light Jodie Foster touch from Contact, but we can just erase that memory from our minds right now. Forget I even said it… though I do love the sound in that movie like you wouldn’t believe!
As for the art, it’s a definite love connection. Lewis Larosa and Tim Bradstreet compliment Jane and Niles script, adhering to those classic tones and vivid images of yesterday, but also make it available to today’s generation of readers. It’s almost an introduction to the past, and Larosa and Bradstreet make sure the reader travels far. They also make this easy to see as a kickass movie, somewhere between The Fifth Element and Independence Day. It’s a true cinematic experience, panel after panel, page after page with these two teams of top-notch creators going full throttle on a story they love.
Which brings us to the so-called “DVD Features” of the book, and why it’s the best experience on the shelf right now: What was the coolest thing as a kid watching these science fiction and horror films at the theater? 3-D. Yep, Bad Planet goes all out to please readers with this feature but also, to be as authentic as possible to that classic genre. Yep, no lie. The page indeed jumps out at ya with those red and blue glasses, and I kept saying to myself while reading it with them on, “That’s some cool shit right there.” Not to mention it coming soon to a PSP courtesy of D2 Comics with audio direction by Thomas Jane himself, and downloadable content on the web, Bad Planet is the most fun you’ll have in reading a comic book. So get to it sci-fi fans, Raw Entertainment’s Bad Planet is actually the best planet to be living on, with or without Jodie Foster.
GRADE: A CONTINUE READING: Definitely. A modern science fiction classic if you ask me, so ride the spaceship until the end, Captain.
Raw Entertainment Studios
Image Comics
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