Dark Horse Presents (1986) #47

Dhp47

If it weren’t for a one page Rich Rice cartoon of an apologetic Godzilla, this issue would be really scraping bottom.

Okay, not exactly true. Buniak’s got a beautifully illustrated jungle adventure featuring Tarzan and Kong stand ins. Lovely ink washes. The story’s not strong, but the art’s the point.

Otherwise, it’s a weak one. The art from the Trumans is pretty good. While the plot has a solid finish, their writing is disastrous. The first person narration is… Ugh.

Wolfer and Warner have some future story about an earth invaded by alien dinosaurs and the Japanese building humans battle armor. It’s lame and derivative, with some occasionally okay art. I don’t think Wolfer has a single original idea.

As for Mielcarek’s story, is Dark Horse publishing mediocre eighth grade illustrators? The writing’s moronic, but the art is simply hideous. Maybe the worst art I’ve ever seen in this series.

Dark Horse Presents 47 (January 1991)

If it weren’t for a one page Rich Rice cartoon of an apologetic Godzilla, this issue would be really scraping bottom.

Okay, not exactly true. Buniak’s got a beautifully illustrated jungle adventure featuring Tarzan and Kong stand ins. Lovely ink washes. The story’s not strong, but the art’s the point.

Otherwise, it’s a weak one. The art from the Trumans is pretty good. While the plot has a solid finish, their writing is disastrous. The first person narration is… Ugh.

As for Mielcarek’s story, is Dark Horse publishing mediocre eighth grade illustrators? The writing’s moronic, but the art is simply hideous. Maybe the worst art I’ve ever seen in this series.

CREDITS

Jungle of the Giants; story and art by Timothy Truman and Benjamin Truman. Burn Out; story and pencils by Mike Wolfer; inks by Chris Warner; lettering by Pat Brosseau. Desperate; story and art by Brian Buniak. Monster Island; story and art by Vince Mielcarek; lettering by Jade Moede. Edited by Randy Stradley.

Dark Horse Presents (1986) #33

Dhp33

What can one say when the best story in the issue is the Mr. Monster… it just seems wrong.

Pollock’s Mike & Viv has a lame plot, a couple funny lines and decent art. A bickering couple gets stuck in the Cretaceous period. Dark Horse was picking from the bottom of the stack here.

Race of Scorpions is confusing, weakly written and Duranona isn’t pretending to use shadows. In other words, it’s the norm for the series. It has a incomprehensible cliffhanger this time too.

Zone‘s okay, with Kraiger tying together the previous story threads to imply something significant. However, he ends the issue with some kind of slapstick routine, ignoring all the social commentary he was doing in the rest of the pages.

Buniak, not Gilbert, does the majority of the Mr. Monster story. He’s funny and his artwork’s fantastic.

Kesel’s Nick ‘n’ Nora is weak, but the art’s competent.

Dark Horse Presents 33 (September 1989)

What can one say when the best story in the issue is the Mr. Monster… it just seems wrong.

Pollock’s Mike & Viv has a lame plot, a couple funny lines and decent art. A bickering couple gets stuck in the Cretaceous period. Dark Horse was picking from the bottom of the stack here.

Race of Scorpions is confusing, weakly written and Duranona isn’t pretending to use shadows. In other words, it’s the norm for the series. It has a incomprehensible cliffhanger this time too.

Buniak, not Gilbert, does the majority of the Mr. Monster story. He’s funny and his artwork’s fantastic.

Kesel’s Nick ‘n’ Nora is weak, but the art’s competent.

C-

CREDITS

Mike & Liv, Mike & Liv Go To Las Vegas; story, pencils and lettering by Jack Pollock; inks by Jorge Pacheco. Race of Scorpions, Eaten by the Earth; story and art by Leopoldo Durañona; lettering by Laura Davis. Zone; story, art and lettering by Michael Kraiger. Mr. Monster, The Movie; story by Michael T. Gilbert and Brian Buniak; art by Gilbert, Buniak and Donnie Marquez; lettering by Mike McCarthy and Ken Bruzenak. Nick ‘n’ Nora; story, art and lettering by Karl Kesel. Edited by Randy Stradley.