Goku has been training . . .
King Tiger makes a triumphant return to Dark Horse at the hands of Randy Stradley and Douglas Wheatley (refraining from Portal riff . . . poorly). Hovering between Doctor Strange, Harry Dresden, Goku, and Liu Kang, Tiger protects Earth Realm (not their term, I just can’t help it sometimes) from extra-normal powers hellbent on death, destruction, and general bad attitudes. Okay, maybe not so much on the last one, but you get the idea. Having launched backup shorts during the Blackout miniseries, King Tiger is ready to do some goodery.
I didn’t catch the Blackout series, so I came into this issue cold. I never caught Tiger’s first incarnation either, so Stradley’s script is my first experience with this character. I gotta say: I like what I see so far. The cover showed a lot of promise of a fun, action-based property, and the first issue delivers on that, though it takes more time in setting us up in the world. There’s a lot of exposition, but the world building is actually quite compact and informative. There’s a definite Kung Fu: The Journey Continues going on here, and the feel remains lighthearted even though we begin and end with some dire observations on human nature as the big bad’s make their play. The story is engaging and will make you care about this odd martial artist and his companions.
The art style is really interesting, at once feeling very modern and sleek while channeling a style of times gone by. This feels like a book with history that is still viable today, and based on the teases so far, I can tell the action when things get moving is going to be explosive. When we get glimpses into the mythological beasties’ world, the panels are definitely frameworthy. There’s some amazing art going on here, and the attention to detail is incredible. Douglas Wheatley has a superb talent that can make me stare at a page forever; it’s that good.
All in all, a slow start but one that promises action very, very soon. There’s a solid foundation here for a deep and thrilling ride, and I think we’ll all be in for a lot of fun.
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Be sure to pre-order your copy of King Tiger #1 by today, July 23, at your local comic book shop!
