Eeek! #1 was reviewed here and the US trade paperback of the earlier Eeek! series was reviewed here.
"The Harvest" (script by Jason Fischer, art by Jason Paulos) opens the issue. Jason Fischer is an author well-known to fans of Australian horror and science fiction, and this is his first foray into the comic book big leagues (well, biggish leagues!). "The Harvest" is an adaptation of Fischer's Australian Shadows Award-nominated short story "Rick Gets a Job" (first published in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine #37), and for this reviewer's money, the new title is an improvement. In fact, possibly because of the truncated nature of the graphic medium - or perhaps because of Paulos' excellent artwork - this version of Fischer's story is a superior effort.
"The Harvest" follows new recruit Rick as he begins work at a human abattoir. Humanity serves somewhat benevolent aliens known as the Raijinn, and consequently, men and women are killed in factories for the Raijinn's consumption. Life in the factory is confronting for an independent-minded guy like Rick, but he only does it for the exemption he receives from the lottery that determines who becomes the aliens' next course. A propaganda campaign convinces the human population that their fate is honourable and peaceful, but that doesn't gel with what Rick sees at the factory. When his fiance is picked in the lottery two weeks before their wedding day, Rick takes matters into his own hands ... and confronts the truth.
While clearly inspired by (and some might say derivative of) works such as Soylent Green and Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery", "The Harvest" is the highlight of this issue. Rick's motivations are powerful, offering the beacon of a sympathetic protagonist as the reader is led through a particularly dark story. The revelation at the end is grim and ultimately offers a payoff that is enlightening and frustrating at the same time. Well done to Fischer and Paulos on creating such a brilliant story together. On the strength of this story, hopefully the pair will collaborate again in the future.
"Deterrent Protocol", written by Daren White and drawn by Jason Paulos, is the other sci-fi tale, flinging the reader into a distinctly retro far-future space opera. After a quick intro (space soldiers must recover a crystal from a ship that has crashed on a world populated by secretive inhabitants), we're straight into action that puts Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers to shame. Our intrepid soldiers blast their way through waves of monstrous denizens while trying to save a particularly buxom native woman from their slimy clutches. One by one, the soldiers fall prey to the planet as they attempt to keep the native woman alive, but with her voluptuousness in their midst, their mission priority changes.
"Deterrent Protocol" is a good, action-filled romp. It's a bit of a no-brainer, but with laser swords, giant blobs, and a bikini-clad beauty, this is one for the boys!
Moving away from sci-fi is Jason Paulos' story "The Green Fairy". While perhaps the weaker of the stories in this issue in terms of plotting (this story is a recount of the rise and fall of talented Parisian artist Anton Goffrey), "The Green Fairy" is the most evocative drawn story of the three. The allure of the Green Fairy's appearance on the first page alone justifies what follows. Paulos chose an ethereal style for this story, with panels merging together as the story unfolds in flashback. Paulos has a fine sense of the female form, and his women in this story are erotically sublime. The story itself kind of trails off, but the artwork is distraction enough that you won't even notice!
Eeek! #1 is available from newsstands around Australia or directly from Black House Comics.
This review is part of the 2010 Australian Horror Comics review series by Shane Jiraiya Cummings. To read other reviews in this series, search for the Labels 'Oz Horror Comics'.
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