Never explore the woods … especially after an explosion.
Creative Staff:
Writers: Hans Rodionoff & Adam F. Goldberg
Artwork: Alan Otero
Colors: Leonardo Paciarotti
Letters: Carlos M. Mangual
What They Say:
Men in black suits are almost synonymous with UFO sightings. Over the years it has been said they have urged many witnesses to remain silent of unexplainable and possibly extraterrestrial phenomenon, Cases of contact with these men appear throughout history. But where do they come from, who do they work for, and what are their intentions? Are they even men at all? Don’t miss the shocking truth unclassified within this issue. But be warned, uncovering the truth may cause more harm than good, and some truths are best left unknown.
Content (please note that portions of review may contain spoilers):
During the Eighties in Rendlesham Forest just outside London, a group of teenagers are excited about their overnight excursion within these isolated woods, noisily chatting about how they will spend their holiday playing Dungeons & Dragons within an appropriately sylvan setting. However as Dungeon Master Sheldon brags about his latest scenario and friends complain of his obsession with nymphs, a sudden crack of thunder interrupts their jovial conversation, prompting the group to wonder if they should hurry to the camp site. But as this novice leader wonders if a storm is approaching, another celestial explosion startles the group and they begin to wonder if it was a bomb, to which their query is answered by a massive fireball rapidly descending to the earth. Not knowing what to do, with their speculation as to this mysterious object being a meteor or a nuke sent by the Russians, they are shocked as they witness the scorching projectile do the impossible – change course in mid-air. Now thinking this may be a falling satellite, Sheldon cannot but panic as he sees the flaming sphere head for his friends, with the concussive impact resulting in a shock wave which throws everyone to the ground and stuns them for a brief period.
As the inquisitive teens wonder what just happened, human curiosity takes over and they head to the nearby crash site, foolishly ignoring the idea they may be wandering into a nuclear blast zone, with Sheldon leading his friends into danger and deciding it is better to explore than to inform the local police. Roaming through drifting smoke and charred trees, the group soon emerges into the area around the impact crater, with their ceaseless and meaningless chatter soon coming to an end as they witness the origin of this fiery landscape – an otherworldly transport which is now smoldering and billowing clouds of gases, even as it glows an incandescent hue from atmospheric friction and combustion from within the craft. With all unwilling to say what everyone is thinking, the extraterrestrial vehicle soon breaks the unspoken tension as a small portal opens and stairs descend from the interior, prompting everyone one to agree now is the time to go home. However as they turn to leave, Sheldon stops his friends by declaring something is emerging from within, with all astonished as a chalky white appendage slowly crawls out and immediately slumps to the side of the door, beckoning for someone to come closer to see what it could be and if it is still alive.
In Summary:
As we delve deeper into the intrigue that disguises mysteries which the powerful wish to keep hidden, one of the most familiar segments of this conspiracy is revealed within this almost humorous issue, although the reader’s bias may be slanted thanks to the subject matter being immodestly exposed within popular culture – the Men in Black. And while writers Hans Rodionoff and Adam F. Goldberg attempt to show a more serious side for these menacing protectors of the unknown, if you have taken notice of the film franchise and numerous comic book series by the same name, it is this latter viewpoint from Lowell Cunningham’s series which appears to be applied in this narrative, with this sinister foundation be hinted at in prior stories within this volume. However as with other incidents involving this shadowy organization, their appearance does not occur until an extraterrestrial occurrence prompts their investigation, and it through due to this bothersome fact that this lightly comical story becomes bogged down. To have a set of impressionable and unreliable teens be at the wrong place at the right time helps to characterize the tale, even admitting they are exploring Rendlesham Forest in order to play Dungeons & Dragons while they are under the influence of drugs, with this fact later compromising the veracity of their retelling to the local constabulary, and thus allowing the ebony clad enforcers to barge in and take over the investigation. And yet, with their name mentioned within the issue’s title, it is disappointing for their appearance be precluded due to the annoying fact they only show themselves when necessary, thus defeating the purpose of enticing the audience to watch with the temptation of more being shown, only to realize these secretive people do not sadly appear until the second half.
Even within this mildly disappointing story, one cannot deny this issue is a visual treat thanks to the immersive movie style layouts of Alan Otero which draw readers into the page, strategically utilizing a celestial point of view to zoom onto the teenagers and concentrate the action upon the group, narrowing our focus upon their interaction within the ever engrossing environment. A smooth transition between panels helps to form the narrative within this science fiction /horror script, with each image bringing us closer to the actors and due to his wondrous application of fine details and impressive facial expressions, it allows for the audience to almost join the group within this intriguing adventure. And yet as we are submerged within this wooded setting, Leonardo Paciarotti helps to ground the terrestrial surroundings thanks to a muted palette of darker greens and subdued blues to invoke the nocturnal standard of an upcoming event which will change everything, made ever more prominent thanks to a change of brighter colors which signal excitement and explosive action. Even if we may giggle at the overly obtrusive sound effect text splashed across the panels, these essential elements help to intensify the importance of moments, with the luminous yellow and orange gradients within the overly exaggerated lettering lending tension to the panels as they lead us and the actors to the climax of the issue – an otherworldly crash. However even as the audience silently scream to themselves that they should not get any closer, we know with our prior experience from similar cinematic moments this will not end well, all leading to the turning point of the story and an ending which is all to predictable thanks to the self important title.
Conspiracy may try to cast a different light upon the darker side of forbidden mysteries, but as we delve deeper into the secrets which we are not supposed to know, the formulaic side of these type of tales reveal themselves all too frequently, and this issue is no exception to the rule. With an issue title which all but exposes what will happen within the narrative, readers can approach the telling with a grain of salt, but thanks to expressive artwork and immersive colors the story is not a complete disappointment. However as the underlying subversion of the Men in Black is finally uncovered, one has to wonder if this series’ foundation will become too ingrained within this shadowy organization to be interesting, or will we be surprised as to how many unpredictable twists will soon follow in the future?
Grade: B-
Age Rating: T (for Teens)
Released By: Zenescope
Release Date: August 05, 2020
MSRP: $4.99
