Filed under: Comic Reviews, Indie Comics | Tags: Colin Bell, Freak Out Squares, Garry Mac, Harrison Stargazer, Harry French, Harry Saxon, Johnny Orion, Unthank Comics
After a phenomenal start in issue #1 (reviewed here) Freak Out Squares from Unthank Comics continues with writer Harry French, artist Garry Mac, colourist Harry Saxon & letterer for the planet earth Colin Bell teaming up again to add more to their world of rock n roll & government control.
Johnny Orion’s head is still being carried around as our ramshackle gang try to bring down as many of the mechanical decoys being peddled by the government to the masses of mindless fans and all while the latest big star rebels against the government too. A twinge of anarchy and that “down with the system” vibe from issue #1 is still there in abundance with the government still focused on keeping the general public in check. A theme that resonates closely with a real world crammed with x-factor and random country’s got talent to the point where we’re being dealt a carefully planned idea of what to think and how to react…..and I think the undertone of this release is challenging that idea in its own way.
Strong bold characters in an all-too familiar world from Harry French sees us rooting for our 3 main activists & the rebellious Young Wolf Lord who survives the attempts to shut him up and wipe him out permanently….all going as expected for them as their cause seems to be gaining momentum……but then their own cause is far better funded and followed with higher stakes being wagered …..I mean who wants the masses thinking for themselves? Part bold, brash fictional tale & part social commentary sounds like a fairly ambitious target to aim for but Freak Out Squares seems to achieve that without even trying…..partly down to Harry’s writing and partly down to the rest of the creative team.
Garry Mac already managed to seriously raise the bar with his work on this in issue #1 and it feels like he’s maintained those heights with this follow-up issue too. Matched perfectly, again with Harry Saxon’s colours in what can only be described as the artistic equivalent of spooning…..artist & colourist in sync and providing a vivid, rich depth to the world being gloriously laid out on the pages. For this, and many other titles Colin Bell adds the finishing touches with the type of consistent lettering that’s seen him branch out from virtually every indie title in the UK to a gig with Image Comics on Shutter #6. A perfect example of how that all ties together can be seen in the first page itself:
A great world in comic book form with some great characters drawn, coloured & lettered in a way that helps raise this to become a title that challenges and betters many offerings from the big two and beyond – I’m a big fan (as you can tell) and yet again this nestles comfortably in my “must-recommend” pile let alone my “must-read” pile. What’s even better is that you can get your hands on both these issues digitally for free over at the following link
9/10
G-Man
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