Terror Inc. Apocalypse Soon #4 – Review

By David Lapham (Writer), Koi Turnbull (Pencils), Scott Hanna w/ Mark Pennington (Inks), Juan Doe (Art on pgs. 11-23), and C. Garcia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: I really hope Mr. Terror has a future sooner rather than later. David Lapham has done great things with Terror during the Apocalypse Soon mini-series, so it’d be a shame to see all that excellent character work go to waste.

The Story: Zahhak’s got Terror’s head… But maybe that was part of the plan to save the world the whole time.

What’s Good and What’s Not So Good: Thanks to David Lapham’s sharp dialogue and a plot that successfully manages to be heavy, yet fun, the final chapter of Apocalypse Soon brings a very good MAX story to a satisfying conclusion. My only real complaint is that, for the second issue in a row, the artwork is split between two artists. While I’m a fan of both artists, Koi Turnbull and Juan Doe have styles that simply don’t go together all that well. In addition, both artists seem to have rushed their work. The quality from panel to panel varies so much that Terror Inc. #4 is rather frustrating to look at. As a result, the final chapter of Apocalypse Soon gets a grade that’s a bit lower than what the rest of the series has gotten.

Conclusion: More Terror would’ve definitely been a good thing.

Grade: B-

-Kyle Posluszny

Terror Inc. Apocalypse Soon #3 – Review

By David Lapham (Writer), Koi Turnbull & Xurxo G. Penalta (Art), Scott Hanna & Tom Palmer (Inks), and Sotocolor’s C. Garcia (Colors)

Some Thoughts Before The Review: Thanks to David Lapham’s excellent character work, Terror Inc. Apocalypse Soon is one of the year’s best surprises.

The Story: Terror and Mrs. Primo meet up with a terrorist and learn the secret behind both the deadly plague and the child that carries it. Only one person has a cure, Zahhak, and Terror knows where to find him…

What’s Good: Terror Inc. Apocalypse Soon #3 is centered around a plot twist that proves to be quite effective. While I won’t spoil anything here, I will say that it gives the story just the jolt that it needs to build towards a conclusion that looks far more promising now than it did a few weeks ago. I’ve got to hand it to David Lapham for being able to turn things around so late in the game.

As expected, Lapham’s character work is the high point of the latest issue of Terror Inc. Apocalypse Soon. He handles Terror with just the right amount of humor and it keeps the plot from becoming too serious or controversial. Also worth noting is the solid artwork, though…

What’s Not So Good:…I’m not so sure about the decision to bring Xurxo G. Penalta on board. While Penalta’s style looks quite cool and proves to be a nice fit for the series, it leaves Terror Inc. #3 feeling a lot like the latest Ms. Marvel. Koi Turnbull and Xurxo G. Penalta have completely different styles and the change from Turnbull to Penalta is surprisingly jarring, especially considering that there’s no real break in the story that might have made the change feel a bit more natural/understandable. At least there was some sort of reason for the alternating styles in Ms. Marvel #40. In Terror Inc. #3, the change from one artist to the next just feels strange.

Conclusion: Art issues aside (though I wouldn’t say the art is bad in any way), Terror Inc. Apocalypse Soon #3 is well worth reading. David Lapham continues to do a great job with the Terror character and the plot twist that’s introduced gives the mini-series a nice bit of momentum as it heads towards a conclusion.

Grade: B

-Kyle Posluszny

Terror Inc.: Apocalypse Soon #1 – Review

By David Lapham (Writer), Koi Turnbull (Pencils), Scott Hanna (Inks), and Edward Bola & Sotocolor’s C. Garcia (Colors)

The Story: Mr. Terror is immortal, has a big armored left arm, looks like a zombie, and has the ability to attach new body parts (head, arm…you name it) from willing and unwilling donors as needed. He runs Terror Inc. and gets paid by taking on jobs that no one else will. In Apocalypse Soon #1, two stories begin. The first takes place during the spread of the Black Death (A.K.A. The Plague) and is about Mr. Terror’s very first job. He is hired to get revenge and honor the dying wishes of a rich woman wronged by her husband. The second story that begins is about Terror’s latest job, where he is hired to get a sample of a bio-terror weapon and then destroy the facility it is being tested at.

What’s Good: Surly, crass, grotesque, and a lover of sex, Mr. Terror is, quite simply, a blast to read about in a MAX title. David Lapham scores the most points, however, for managing to find a sweet spot between revolting and likeable thanks to Mr. Terror’s soft spot for kids and the less fortunate. It’s a fairly delicate balance, but Lapham pulls it off in a way that seems almost effortless.

The visuals in Terror Inc. #1 are quite nice. The art team deserves a lot of credit for working with two very different settings without sacrificing consistency. Also, Koi Turnbull and his crew do a great job of bringing out both sides of Terror through detailed, busy settings, impressive character work, and brutal, slightly disturbing violence.

What’s Not So Good: The weakest part of the first chapter of Apocalypse Soon is the main story being developed. While it isn’t exactly boring, it feels a bit too predictable. It does show some promise though thanks to a fairly strong finish, so it’s not all bad.

Conclusion: In short, Terror Inc. #1 is a well-written, good-looking book that isn’t afraid to take advantage of the MAX label. The main character rocks and one of the plots being developed is a lot of fun.

Grade: B+

-Kyle Posluszny