Posted in: Recent Updates, Review | Tagged:

Review: FTL #2 From Oran Utan Comics

Published Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:50:54 -0500

Last updated Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:30:57 -0500

Faster Than Light is an anthology from Oran Utan Comics, available in print or as a digital download. You know what to expect from small press comics. Scratchy artwork with badly proportioned arms, dead eyes, and production values that are either shaky or use over the top Photoshop skills that make each page look like badly designed washing powder. So it's nice when they up their game.

And FTL is a welcome breath of fresh air. Okay, there is a little lens flare but we can forgive them that. It's purposely full of genre/action short stories that do give the whole book an energy and drive that help the jump from chapter to chapter.

Morgan McFee And The End Of Tomorrow is an over-the-top action comedy that throws around exposition like bullets, bad guys trying to save the world, with a horrific plot slip that the energy of the story just failed to let me jump over, but does at least provide the kind of twist you which 24 would give us sometimes. Secret Cross slaps a demonic werewolf in the trenches of World War I, with scenes of horror and dismemberment that are frankly, perfectly suited to this backdrop. One Last Ballad tells a grey spaghetti-Western styled undead horror story. that makes me ask what really happens to all those missing musicians. And most convincingly in this anthology, Karachun looks at the fairytale reality of Eastern European gods to a populace that lives their life by them, and the battles they must fight just to make it through the day. We have a number of stories that would not feel out of place at Dark Horse, IDW, Image or Boom. Yet, because FTL isn't there, odds are it will be ignored.

Oh yes and Secret Cross is also very nicely coloured by one Jeff Balke. It's a small world. isn't it?

FTL #2, a 36 page anthology for 99 cents download, is available here or in actual proper print copy from IndyPlanet for $2.99

You can also find a preview here.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!