Sometimes the distinction between the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror are blurred by authors who don’t fully grasp the peculiarities. Rest assured, dedicated fans will know the differences. So, when something comes along that draws from each of these popular genres and more, readers are going to take notice.
Take notice of the four-issue series The Last Hunt from Amigo Comics. Written by Hannu Kesola (Night Screams for Mercy, Draw Blood) and Ken Janssens (Sherlock Homes: Victorian Knights, Hindsight) with artwork by Paul Moore (Planet of Demons, Graphics Chronicles) and color by Beth Varni (Marked, Joshua Black: The Divine Hierarchy), this talented team of artists has created a cross-genre story that may look on the outside like something you’ve seen before. But on the inside, you will find a collective piece sure to please fans of multiple genre. (The lettering was provided by Malaka Studio, Spain.)
The year is 2232 and Earth is a war-torn desolate wasteland. The birthplace of humanity is now just a drop-off and pick-up point for Ragzon Cargo. After the crew of Captain Frank Nielsen’s ship is forced to make repairs before they can leave the area once known as Massachusetts following a rough landing, they stumble upon a trio of young women who claim to be scientists from a distant colony getting samples to study Earth’s deteriorated state. Once the terrifying nature of the story is revealed, the macabre journey never slows until the last couple of pages.
Amigo has done a fine job of publishing noted works in creator-owned comics in Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. They’ve raised the bar with The Last Hunt by dipping a toe in all three categories. But why stop there? Readers are also presented with a few historical elements when the story reflects on some of the darker elements of humanity – the Salem witch trials. All knotted together in four tightly paced issues, it’s difficult to tie this down to any single genre.
Targeted for the mature audience, it should not come as a surprise that this story includes adult language, graphic sex and gore filled violence. But for realism faithful to the plot, none of this comes as simply gratuitous shock-and-awe.
Granted some readers may get that feeling that they’ve been down this road before. A stranded crew facing formidable monsters is unmistakably reminiscent of the classic film Alien. But this time around, we aren’t just dealing with a fear created by the imagination. Here, we are faced with a beast ascended from the fears of humanity during a naïve time in history. Relocated centuries into the future, and the nightmare can be just as frightening.
The writing of Kesola and Janssens has taken a popular theme and woven in just enough reality to make The Last Hunt a completely different kind of comic for a wide range of readers. The bar has been set. So, what’s next?
