Series: Skybourne
Written and Drawn by: Frank Cho, with Colors by Marcio Menyz
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Summary from Comixology: “A new, original series from celebrated creator Frank Cho (Totally Awesome Hulk, Savage Wolverine)! Full of fast-paced action, Skybourne is Indiana Jones meets James Bond with fantasy elements thrown in. Cho describes it as “one of the most cinematic stories I’ve envisioned.” The legend of King Arthur is alive and well in modern day. Only one man, Skybourne, can stop the evil Merlin from destroying the world.”
Frank Cho is one those creators whose reputation oftentimes precedes him. Whether it be his “Outrage!” sketch covers, or his much publicized exit from doing Wonder Woman variants due to… we’ll say, “creative differences” with Greg Rucka. He’s maybe a little like the comic industry’s Quentin Tarantino, right down to the infamous foot fetish.
(Editor’s Note: There is no evidence that Mr. Cho has a “foot fetish” and the suggestion thereof by this writer reflects his baseless opinion only, and not that of Four Letter Nerd.)
(Writer’s Note: YOU’RE a f**king nerd, Gary.)
What I mean is, regardless of your opinion of him, he’s undeniably talented, and he’s not afraid to be himself and speak his mind without concern for how people will perceive him.
Skybourne is his newest creator owned project about a family of not-so-immortal’s who end up on the business end of some mysteriously dangerous circumstances. The majority of this first issue focuses on Grace Skybourne as she attempts to collect a mystical sword from a deal-breaking prick who fails to comprehend how much of a badass she really is. Let me see if I can help you comprehend it. One of the very first things she does when the deal goes south, is put. her arm. THROUGH… a man’s BODY. His whole f**king body. And if that’s not badass enough for you, she proceeds to do it like 18 more times and even karate chops a dude trough the mouth and separates most of his head from the rest of his head. I presume this is a move that Frank is very familiar with since he spent time working covert operations for the CIA. There’s even a rumor that he may have been a linchpin in the operation that took out Gaddafi.
(Editor’s Note: There is absolutely NO EVIDENCE that Mr. Cho ever worked for the CIA, let alone had any involvement in the overthrowing of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Again, these claims are of the writer alone and do not reflect the opinions of Four Letter Nerd.)
(Writer’s Note: THERE’S NO EVIDENCE BECAUSE IT’S THE F**KING CIA, GARY! They don’t want you to know the truth! Read a book, you pathetic sheeple!)
This is the part where I’m supposed to go into the artwork of the book, but I mean, this is Frank Cho… what can I say about a the guy’s work that hasn’t been said before? It’s hugely recognizable for how flawless it is. Every panel is like a painting, and he perfectly captures details like wrinkles around the eyes and blood splatter on… well, on everything it splatters on. His ability to capture facial expressions is incredible. The aforementioned scene of body impalement by lady-arm is made all that much better because the look on the guy’s face is priceless. Like the last thing that crossed his mind was, “Holy s**t. I was just punched all the way through the chest.” I imagine it’s a facial expression Frank saw many times when he took out terrorists for the CIA.
(Editor’s Note: On behalf of Four Letter Nerd, I would like to apologize to Mr. Cho for the outrageous accusations made by this writer, and 100% guarantee there will be consequences for his behavior.)
(Writer’s Note: Hey Gary, can you tell your wife that I left my watch in her car the other day and that I’ll pick it up from her when we meet at the Marriott off of highway 70 on Friday? Thanks Boss.)
Skybourne is a very, as Frank describes it, cinematic story. Epic, even. It’s full of mystery and big action moments that will keep you glued til the very, surprising, end. Head down to your local comic shop today and grab a copy of Skybourne #1, or click the Comixology link at the top of the page to read it digitally.
Music Pairing –
I’m going with Detroit rock ‘n roll/metal band Wilson here. There’s just something about their brand of crazy, fast-paced jamming that feels right when partnered with this story.