Just when you think you were safe from the things that go bump in the night!
Creative Staff:
Writer: Joe Tyler
Artwork: Carlos Granda
What They Say:
For decades the U.S. Government has covered up the existence of dozens of species of dangerous creatures that have been captured over the years. After building a small, secretive city on a remote island in the Pacific, these monsters were transported there to be studied.
In 2012, disaster struck and the island was evacuated. Now the inmates have taken over, and different species fight for control within the city walls. However, something extremely valuable was left behind on the island and the only way to recover it is to send an elite mercenary unit into the most dangerous place in the world … Monster Island.
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
The U.S. government has been keeping a terrible secret from the world: the things that go bump in the night are real and they have a place for these creatures – Monster Area S1 or MASI Island. They have been holding their prisoners there for decades for experimentation and to learn as such as they could from their guests. But when the containment which kept the monsters enclosed was breached, the scientists were forced to abandon their research and try to escape; most did not survive, but one of them, Dr. Kelsey Bennett, is now driven to return to that madhouse after the force field that was keeping the horrors restrained is now failing. After all this time, the things that they have tried to hide are now on the verge of being freed.
However, instead of immediately bombing the island, the government has no choice but to send in a band of mercenaries to recover key documents before they destroy the installation. They only have forty-eight hours to get in, navigate the menagerie of creatures, find the information and leave before the entire place is destroyed. It sounds impossible especially when the soldiers they hired are either too foolish or skeptical to believe that there are such things as monsters. And it is this ignorance that may cause the assignment to fail even before it has begun. There are other things out there worse than the men who put the creatures there and this team is about to find out if they have what it takes to escape from this maniacal zoo.
In Summary:
When I started reading this book, I was immediately reminded of the plots from Jurassic Park III and The Rock, but instead of Sam Neill or Sean Connery rescuing the little boy/objective and guiding the team/SEALs, writer Joe Tyler replaces him with a Lara Croft look-a-like. The premise is promising, but everything seems recycled including the material which is gleaned from an old Zenescope series called Monster Hunter’s Survival Guide. However, since this is the first issue, there is hope that this will turn into an interesting start of what hopefully will be a fun trip.
However familiar the story may be, artist Carlos Granda saves it from mediocrity with his grandiose cinematic visuals: from the expansive landscapes, impressively detailed expository scenes and of course, the breathtaking fight scenes. The double spread layout bringing to light the mission’s dangerous nature is the highlight of the issue. While the apprehension was building with the obligatory explanations, the comical one-liners of the extras and the calming dive into the serene Pacific waters, you can almost feel the tension as the group makes their way through the oceanic trench toward the compound. Though there is no background sound, but the orchestra starts with a rendition of the Jaws theme, slowly building the stress until we see blood drifting through the water, then … BOOM! If this isn’t a classic underwater scene, then the director did something wrong. But this time, Granda did everything right.
Escape From Monster Island may seem to be your average monster book, but the extraordinary care and detail that is put into bringing this story to life is what elevates it from a boring book into a feast for the eyes. Tyler and Granda may have had a shaky start with this introductory issue, but the topic makes it an optimistic title for the future. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t sink like so much chum in the murky water.
Grade: B
Rating: 16+
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: February 3rd, 2016
MSRP: $3.99
