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Review: The Sequels TPB

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes

It’s official, the 80’s are everyone favourite decade, especially if shows like Stranger Things are anything to go by.  Fanbase Press are getting in on the act with the collection of their four issue mini series, The Sequels this July. Back in the 80’s four disparate kids had four disparate adventures with a range of monsters, robots and aliens.  As with the family in the Haunting of Hill House TV show, after their initial adventures, Avery, Gwen, Russell and Dakota’s respective lives stay stuck in neutral, never living up to the promise that they once had, never realising that maybe their best days were way behind them.  An invitation from a fellow adventurer though, allows them the opportunity to try and recapture former glories.

The book is created and written by the Eisner Award nominated  Norm Harper, who takes the four issue format and uses it to focus on the kids, giving us the chance to see how their earlier adventures started and possibly paused.  It’s an interesting take for sure, that runs the risk of steering the story from the the more interesting characters.  Harper does well to keep the pieces in places, entwining the groups life’s.  The dialogue is rich with 80’s nod’s and the sort cheese on toast, the sort of cheese on toast that we didn’t realise was so corny, that seemed to be all the rage back then. 

The series hinges on how believable the characters interactions are, and for the most part they are; who doesn’t want to reconnect with their perceived best of times. Val Halvorson provided the modern-day (adult) artwork and coloring, and Bobby Timony provided the ’80s-style artwork and coloring.  Halvorson’s art come in a twofold style, with a cartoony style for the present and Timony  provides a perfect throwback, appropriately enough, depicting the kids earlier lives.  Whoever had the idea to color the book in the old school style, be it Timony or flatter Deanna Poppe, but it was an inspired choice, that real helps sell the passage of time.  Letterer Oceano Ransford does a great job ensuring that conversations a re easy to follow. This trade paperback is a great way to catch up on a mini series that you may have missed first time around, especially if you love that 80’s vibe, mixed with some classic creatures and nuances of the icons of the most favourable of decades.

Writing – 4 Stars
Art – 3.5 Stars
Colors – 4 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Written by; Norm Harper
Art by; Val Halvorson / Bobby Timony
Colors by; Val Halvorson / Bobby Timony
Flattered by; Deana Poppe
Letters by; Ocenao Ransford
Published by; Fanbase Press

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes
I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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