Returning to Strange Science Fantasy raises a question about expectation. The first issue ends with a “to be continued.” How does a story without characters get one interested enough to come back? I didn’t really see what Morse could do with that story, certainly not for five more issues.

Well, he doesn’t continue it (this issue’s story does not have a “to be continued”). Instead, he starts with a cross between Japanese samurai movies and giant monster movies. Then he introduces a mythology about intergalactic stone beings. About halfway through the story, it’s progressed to the point I had to force myself to remember to started as this tonal fifties and sixties thing, then Morse makes his own way.

The storytelling is grandiose; relating to the characters, even if they had dialogue, would be impossible. Morse does a fine job in those constraints.

Lovely one page retelling from Pope too.

CREDITS

Survival!; writer, artist, colorist and letterer, Scott Morse. …And The Cosmic Mind Cried…; writer, artist and letterer, Paul Pope. Colorist, Morse; editor, Bob Schreck; publisher, IDW Publishing.

Morse takes a peculiar approach here. I imagine he chose it to lessen the illustrating load. He has three panels a page, no dialogue, all very overdone exposition. He’s mimicking the tone of a sensational movie poster or comic book cover.

And it works.

There’s not a single character in the comic, yet it’s totally engaging. The story is set in the near future where some kind of car racing celebrity becomes the new messiah. Oh, he shines a light out of his face, but he’s basically just a race car driver.

Morse mixes visual elements from all sorts of fifties and sixties pop culture media. The racing movie, the sci-fi movie; but he also embraces the modernity (particularly when showcasing “normal” people).

It’s a successful amalgamation of popular culture, put to a familiar plot structure. Interestingly, he doesn’t bother with a cliffhanger.

Pope contributes a nice final page.

CREDITS

Dawn of the Gearheads; writer, artist and letterer, Scott Morse. The Headlight; writer, artist and letterer, Paul Pope. Colorist, Morse; editor, Bob Schreck; publisher, IDW Publishing.