Writer: Alan Davis
Artists: Alan Davis (p), Mark Farmer (i)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Plot:
The book opens with Killraven's group running afoul with a fish-man hybrid creature, but Killraven leaps to the aid of his endangered group, and he manages to kill the beast. We then learn that Killraven is dead set upon rescuing the young woman who helped them escape from the bounty hunter Mint Julep last issue, and to this end he's leading the group toward a Martian settlement where Mint Julep regularly does business. However, along the way they stumble across a human settlement, and Killraven is quick to note that while these humans look to be free from Martian control, they still appear to be a subjected people. He also notices that these humans look to be bringing a wealth of food products to a central location, and since these people look malnourished, Killraven questions this odd behavior. As he discovers that the food is being brought to placate a demon lord who rules this region of the world, we see Killraven sets out to meet this demon lord, in a bid to lessen the burden that has been placed upon these people. However, when Killraven learns the all powerful demon lord is really a con man, Killraven is able to use his fighting prowess to expose this lie, and free these people from the terror that had gripped them.
Comments:
This miniseries is feeling a bit too episodical to me, as each issue offers up a different challenge for Killraven and his crew to overcome. Now there are elements that act to tie all the issues together, as Alan Davis had made use of cliffhanger endings to tie issues together, and before the adventure of this issue begins the cast does discuss the events of last issue. However, given this is a miniseries, I do find myself wishing that Alan Davis would stop his seeming efforts to make each issue a standalone affair, with a beginning, middle & resolution to the conflict he's decided to throw Killraven's way. The first issue was the escape from the Martians, the second was the escape from the bounty-hunter Mint Julep, and this issue has them exposing a false god, a story that rather reminded me of the half dozen episodes of the original Star Trek, where Kirk & crew went out of their way to free a enslaved society from a false figure of worship. In the end I guess what I'm trying to say is that this book could be far more sweeping in scope if Alan Davis wasn't so busy making his effort to deliver a complete adventure in each issue, as miniseries that are six issues in length allow the writer more room to breath, and Alan Davis is playing more like it's a series of six one-shots.
There's also a very real sense that Alan Davis seems to forget that he's got an entire cast of characters to play with when the action breaks out. Now I realize that Killraven is the recognized star of this book, and as such he is going to be front and center when the action breaks out. However, the past two issues have established a pattern that when a threat enters the story, Killraven is the only one who's allowed to do anything about it. The group is attacked by a giant fish-man, then it falls upon Killraven to dive into the waters, and wrestle with this ferocious creature. The group is confronted by an army of trained warriors, and once again Killraven is the only one allowed to wade into the conflict. Now yes both these scenes play up the idea that Killraven is a one-man army, but it also begs the question of what exactly is the point of having Killraven leading a group of fellow escaped slaves, if he's the only one who allowed on stage when the excitement level picks up. Now Alan Davis has attached up little character aspects to his supporting cast as Skull is the old-timer, M'Shulla is the staunch ally, Hawk is the duplicitous hothead, and Carmilla is the eager to please rookie of the group. However, Killraven is clearly the star of this show when the action erupts.
I have to say that the 1970s influence on this book's visuals is a bit distracting, as Killraven's outfit continues to make me wonder why this group doesn't make some effort to look inconspicuous, as it's a bit like an escaped criminal running around in their bright orange jumpsuit. There's also the panel where the attacking fish creature is revealed to be a mutated human, as the panel where we discover it has legs evoked memories of a cheesy 1950s sci fi flick. It gets even worse on the final page of this issue when we get a look at the monster hidden in the cave, as Alan Davis offers up a goofy looking amalgamation of monsters. Still, even with these little visual miscues the simple fact of the matter is that it is still Alan Davis providing the art for this book, and he's a solid artist when it comes to the fundamentals of good art. His facial expressions is quite impressive, and his understanding of body language is put to good use when we see a deflated tribe of people sudden regain their backbones, when they recognize the demon lord is really just a fat old guy. Killraven's efforts against the demon warrior is also nicely handled, as the action has a nice energy to it, and it conveys the speed of Killraven's movements quite well.
Final Word:
Not a bad little issue but I get the feeling that Alan Davis is aiming this material at readers who entered this miniseries as fans of Killraven, as truthfully the book is a bit weak when it comes to fleshing out its cast. There's also the idea that when the book offers up the action the only character who's allowed to play an active role is Killraven, which begs the question of why Alan Davis even bothered to create a group of characters for Killraven to have his adventures with. Now the action is pretty much what one should expect from a book set in a bleak future, as we have all manner of savage beasts to endanger our hero, and this issue has Killraven stumbling across a rather familiar scenario where a con artist is posing as all powerful figure, and is forcing a small settlement into near starvation with his demands for their food. Still, I suspect that unless you're a Killraven fan, or a big Alan Davis booster, then you're likely to find this miniseries a bit underwhelming.
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