IDW Publishing takes over Triple Shot with as many big phasers and constructs as there are handguns.
That is to say, you’ve heard us gush at the Star Trek and Green Lantern crossover but the publisher’s connections with Comics Experience bring Tet to print and independent creator-owned titles like Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener’s Atomic Robo keep the independent spirit alive among a sea of licenses.
Our friend Paul Allor (TMNT, G.I.Joe) sent FOG! an advance copy of his latest, Tet #1, out today from IDW in association with Andy Schmidt’s Comics Experience class.
Paul is a comics professional with some great titles under his belt, but also he is a crucial part of the community and staff over at Comics Experience. His title is Pro Critique Provider, helping would-be creators develop scripts and gives students much needed feedback as a professional that has worked with publishers.
Tet is a murder mystery set during the Tet Offensive, one of the key campaigns in the Vietnam War.
Much like Marvel ‘80s books The ‘Nam and flashbacks in Classic G.I.Joe, Tet offers a look at the war from the soldier’s perspective.
This book satisfies a lot of checkmarks for an interesting war tale. Romance, a murder mystery and a team up with U.S. soldiers and local authorities to solve said mystery. Of course the new partners don’t get along.
I’m compelled to recommend this issue. Tet is different than Allor’s other work and in my opinion, shows his growth as a writer. Setting the story in the Vietnam War gives a gritty backdrop to the mystery and allows for some great dialogue work.
Much praise to Paul Tucker’s realistic art, in the vein of David Mazzucchelli’s Batman: Year One style as an easy comparison.
I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the story and recommending the trade. Tet runs four issues.
I’m sorry! I can’t stop talking about how incredible this book is, that it exists, and that no one has thought of this before.
Star Trek/Green Lantern is so close to a perfect team-up (covered loquaciously in last month’s Triple Shot), that I can’t possibly say any more about it. But I’ll venture to try!
A Guardian of the Universe lays dead in Sick Bay as Captains Jordan and Kirk try to make sense of it all. Jordan explains the motivation of Nekron in two pages what the hefty volume of Blackest Night (2009) did in 304.
Things heat up as crew members are given good rainbow rings and some of the more sinister colors are given to Klingon Emperor Chang under the aegis of Sinestro and a Red Lantern ring goes to Glocon, a Lizard being tutored by DC baddie Atrocitus.
What comes next?
RISE!
Stay tuned to this space for more Trek/Lantern updates or just go out and get this or wait for the trade.
Salvaging this Atomic Robo book from a not-quite-there-yet Kickstarter and Patreon limbo and switch from floppy to webcomic, IDW smartly takes a chance on printing this creator owned title. It’s not much of a risk, however, as Atomic Robo is a fan-favorite no matter what imprint the title finds itself.
Robo was built in 1908 by Nikola Tesla. His various adventures have been cataloged by Clevinger and Wegener right up to the present day, close to the concept of the Hellboy timeline.
The latest issue here at IDW puts the Tesladyne team on a search for Robo, who some team members think may be dead.
This issue is a great jumping on point for new fans as the team try to make sense of Robo’s disappearance. Its globe-spanning fun for fans of Invincible, Classic G.I.Joe, Iron Giant and of course robots!
Atomic Robo features cool team building is light in tone and appeals to a broad audience.
Go Team Robo at IDW!
