Review: Turok #1

Synopsis:

We open in Colorado, 1873. Andar, a native American, is being held captive by some union soldiers and made to walk, with his hands tied, behind a soldier on a horse. He’s weakened and his spirit seems broke. This intro leads to a good fight scene as Turok rescues his brother and they ride away on one of the soldiers horses. Of course the soldiers don’t take kindly to losing a prisoner and are in hot pursuit!

The Creative Team:

Ron Marz brings Gold Key’s original creation to the pages of Dynamite comics. The update is well done and this title is a heck of a lot more violent than anything that Gold Key ever put out. Not too violent to be rated mature, but enough so that we get a taste of the old west in all it’s glory. This is an origin story and it’s a good one. It updates the story but at the same time respects the source material. So many re-boots and re-makes disrespect the source material only to see the new versions fail. But this one is done right so it should sell well. Marz story telling techniques fit this character quite well. Great stuff includes The rescue of Andar by Turok and the soldiers persistence in recapturing their prisoner.

Roberto Castro’s art is simply awesome! Turok never looked so good. He captures the feel of the old west perfectly and just as perfectly casts our heroes in a pre-historic land. From the grizzled features of the battle hardened soldiers to the epic scenery of two distinct eras. Castro breathes new life into a 60-year-old franchise. Highlights include the fight between Turok and the soldiers plus the splash of the pre-historic era.

In Conclusion:

Dynamite has proven themselves to be the leader in re-booting old franchises. From King Features to Gold Key and Dell. Here’s an excellent retelling of one of Gold Key’s best original titles. Fans of the original should be pleased with this product and new readers should catch on to how great this title was. This issue may feel a bit like it’s going through the paces of an origin story that’s already been told, but the story telling is superior to the original and I believe that this will be one hell of a title once we get into the tale by the end of next issue. *** (8.2 rating)

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Writer – Ron Marz
Art – Roberto Castro
Colors – Salvatore Aiala
Letters – Troy Peteri
Publisher – Dynamite

Author Profile

Kevin Given

Kevin Given has studied with â€œ Longridge Writers Group â€ and â€œ Writerâ€™s Boot Camp â€ a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the â€œ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter â€ franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of â€œ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter â€ # 1 and â€œ Files of Karl Vincent â€ # 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series â€œ Dracula Rising â€ (working title) and developing â€œ Foul Blood â€ into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given