Rating: 5/5 – Dynamite action & explosive storytelling get the Gold Key relaunch off to a great start.
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall.
I’ve read the Valiant version of Turok (which I loved), the Acclaim version of Turok (which I didn’t think was quite so great), and the original Gold Key Turok in reprint editions as well as some back issues I’ve picked up over the years (which was OK but felt fairly dated). This version of Turok by Greg Pak & Mirko Colak, after a single debut issue, is my favorite version of the character to date. That makes me feel REALLY good about Dynamite’s relaunch of the Gold Key Universe.
Greg Pak has taken the series in a different direction than we’ve seen before while keeping all the core aspects of the character that make him cool. He’s a Native American fighting dinosaurs. Cool. Reading Pak’s story I get a much greater sense of his Native American culture than from any previous incarnation of the character. You don’t have to have read any of the previous incarnations of Turok to enjoy this issue. Perfect. That’s the best we can ever hope for in a re-boot. There are aspects there that people who read the older versions can touch on and be reminded that this had a life before now, but I think it reads just as nicely for someone who has never heard of Turok before picking up this issue. Everything I need to know is contained within this issue and Pak blends characterization, dialogue and action seamlessly to make the experience of reading this a joy.
The art by Mirko Colak is a wonderful counterpoint to Pak’s story. His use of blacks enhance the story mood, his lush forest backgrounds really popped for me, the costumes and character designs were beautifully detailed and really conveyed a sense of being in the time and place of the story.
Pak’s story and Colak’s art blended perfectly to draw me into Turok’s world. The last two pages of the issue were the icing on the cake adding in an additional story element that I’m going to love seeing played out over the course of the series. We have something here that is respectful of it’s roots but completely fresh. I’m on board for this series and am looking forward to seeing the other titles in Dynamite’s Gold Key relaunch; Pak and Colak have set the bar pretty high for the other titles debuting soon.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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