JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 is the first ongoing series from Zenescope Entertainment's new all ages Silver Dragon Books line. The story was developed by Joe Brusha and written by Neo Edmund with art by JL Giles-Rivera. JSF5 is described by the publisher as a mix between The Transformers, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and dinosaurs. Billed as "Earth's Original Heroes," the Strike Force must come out of a 100 million year hibernation after Lord Zalek and his Reptilians escape imprisonment, deep under Antarctica.
The influence of The Transformers is apparent from the formula of the series. Two opposing groups of long warring giants use Earth as their battleground. The heroes enlist the aid of two humans, a father and son. While the villains are on a hunt for resources in order to bring their ultimate plan to fruition. And, oddly enough, the one bad guy (or girl in this case) with the ability of flight is the one constantly making power plays within the group of would be world conquerors. And, though not entirely original, the formula does illustrate some of the potential for the concept, even after 2 issues. Side swapping, new dino warriors and long buried secrets are ripe for exploring right from the get go. The thought of which could quickly make readers into loyal fans.
Edmund's scripting does an excellent job of introducing over a dozen new characters in a short period of time. The story is simple and moves at a quick pace, much like a Saturday morning cartoon, with only small periods between big battles. The #0 issue also comes with character bios, providing further background. Giles-Rivera has a nicely detailed style that is already showing signs of improvement. The warriors are made up of a diverse array of dinosaurs, the design of each utilizing the specific characteristics of that dinosaur species. Some of the armor designs, Rocky's in particular, could use some tweaking, but are otherwise sufficient.
The #0 issue, in addition to a prelude story and character bios, comes with a preview of the Discovery Channel's Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Predators graphic novel, featuring a biography of the Spinosaurus species. Educational components like these are always a welcome addition to all ages books.
JURASSIC STRIKE FORCE 5 #2 hits Philadelphia area comic book stores on February 15th and can be purchased at Philadelphia area comic book stores. To find a shop near you go to www.comicshoplocator.com.
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