Randy and Don are holed up in a bunker, prepared for the Attack of the Supermonsters.
Don:
The title of this indy comic book says it all: it's a retro anthology, celebrating horror and super-hero stories from yesteryear. What the title doesn't tell you is how effectively the writer/artist captures the charm of such Silver Age (or pre-Silver Age) tales.
Randy:
Indeed. Those who have read some of Marvel's Essentials might sense a kinship in Attack of the Supermonsters, and I'm not just talking about the black and white format either.
Attack of the Supermonsters #1
published by Momo Taro Comics & Big Umbrella
written & illustrated by Ted Seko
Don:
In "The Hero's Curse," a young man and his girlfriend flee from a terrible monster into the nearby woods, but one of them doesn't fare so well in the encounter. A trio of mysterious, supernatural figures offer a solution... and a sacrifice. And in "Fusionman Unleashed," a pair of sailors find themselves stranded on an island populated by monsters, an alien warlord and the two scientists dedicated to thwarting the villain's plans for world domination. And the key to the triumph of good over evil is a prototype android named Fusionman.
Randy:
I felt like I was reading a lost Jack Kirby or Stan Lee book from the early Marvel days in reading these stories. The heroes' tragic circumstances and origins, emphasizing a choice to do good even at personal cost, resonates right with the style that Lee and Kirby both had. In addition, the ideas that are at the center of both new characters are out there and wild, borderline ludicrous but with just enough heart to work, just like most of the work of Kirby and Lee.
Don:
Seko's influences here are quite clear. EC horror comics of the 1950s and Jack Kirby giant monster stories clearly served as inspiration, and one can see it in the artwork. There's a strong Kirby riff at play, but other visual influences are apparent as well. Hints of Bruce Timm's style, also influenced by Kirby, are easily detected, as is a manga-esque approach as well. Seko doesn't simply ape the work of those artists, though. He boasts an inky, sketchy approach with thick lines that establish a dark mood nicely (especially in the first story) and capture the more innocent tone of these tales.
Randy:
I wasn't quite as sold on the art as you were, I think. I saw a lot of potential there, as in addition to the more classical influence from Kirby or neo-classical like Timm, I saw some strong brushwork along the lines of Scott Morse, and you're right about the manga influence, especially in the second story. But while Seko's influences are well-rounded, his art is sometimes a little too dark, and some of the important sequences are not the easiest to read. As I said, the potential is there, and the art for the most part serves the stories well enough, but I look forward to seeing what Seko can do with some more experience under his belt.
Don:
As for the scripts themselves, Seko's plots are quite predictable, but suspense isn't the point here. Atmosphere and nostalgia are, and he hits the nail on the head both times. Even the narration and dialogue are reminiscent of a simpler time in comics.
Randy:
Reminiscent? I'd go as far as to say dead-on. There's a danger to that, in that what was accepted during the Silver Age now seems a little goofy in modern times, and Seko runs the risk of writing stories that would appeal to a nostalgia fanbase that has mostly been replaced by a nostalgia for more recent 70s and 80s fare. On the other hand, the stories have that same core of universal appeal that I liked in the early Marvel and DC books, and I loved that the heroes are noble, self-sacrificing types, a rarity in these days of no costumes, real morality and Authority style violence. That they don't always get their just reward, often suffering as a result of doing the right thing, such as with the ironic twist at the end of the first hero's origin, is a sign of the sophistication that was often there in the Silver Age but is often overlooked by modern revisionists.
Don:
I was also impressed with how Seko juggles genre. The first tale starts off as typical teen monster-movie stuff, but soon takes on a Twilight Zone quality. And at the same time, Seko pays tribute to classic monster myths. And in "Fusionman," giant monsters meet Silver Age sci-fi and super-heroics. Attack of the Supermonsters has something to offer all readers, and it's all-ages appropriate at that.
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