Comics
Review: ‘Mars Attacks’ #10
With such suspenseful writing and eye-popping illustrations, Mars Attacks #10 kicks into high gear with its blazing sci-fi action. The Martians are about to learn what happens when you take on Earth’s inhabitants. As soon as they reach the last page, readers will come back for more of the “Mars Attacks” series.
WRITTEN BY: John Layman
ART BY: John McCrea
PUBLISHER: IDW Publishing
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: May 1th, 2013
The Martians came to Earth with the single purpose of conquering the planet. With an army of spaceships and monsters by their side, the Martians thought they had nothing to lose. They never expected Tommy Bailey, a boy so young and innocent, to became Earth’s remaining hero. With just bravery and his intelligence, Tommy is able to outwit the Martians by using their own alien technology against them. But is Tommy’s help just enough to give the rest of humanity a fighting chance?
In the previous issues. writer John Layman was showing the worst of human nature during the war with the Martians. In order to save themselves, people were willing to side with the enemy. But, Tommy is different because he represents hope for humanity’s future. Layman adds a nice twist and presents the opening pages from the perspective of the Martians. After years of study and adductions, the Martians never expected humanity to fight back. The Martians are suddenly afraid because the war has suddenly turned to favor the humans.
What I really enjoyed about this issue is how Layman can take such B-movie material seriously. In the opening pages, the Martians are fighting and losing against a giant robot. Because Tommy has played videogames before, he moves the giant robot around as if he was playing one. Then you have Avery Hendershoot, a gritty gunslinger who stepped out of a western movie. Tommy and the gunslinger have such an odd dynamic, but their pairing actually works because they trust each other. Avery lefts Tommy do his thing, but knows when to step in and get the boy out of danger.
Reading will be hooked by John McCrea’s artwork in the opening pages. McCrea understands the meaning behind Layman’s themes and keeps that in mind through his illustrations. Even when things are looking at their worst, there is always hope. Just when the Martians thought they were winning, they never expected an attack from their machines. The giant robot takes down their army with just one swing of its arm.
Amidst the explosions and robot rampage, there is a single Martian survivor from this battle. In a close-up, McCrea illustrates the cracked glass helmet, and half of the giant head missing. There’s brain matter and blood spewing from the back of the Martian’s burnt head. Even though he is mortally wounded, the Martian survivor will use his last breath to strike back at the humans.
A great read, sci-fi fans are in for a special treat with “Mars Attacks #10.” The “Mars Attacks” series has a lot of quirky humor, action, and surprises that readers will get a kick out of.
4/5 Skulls
Reviewed by – Jorge Solis
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
You must be logged in to post a comment.