Turok #2

Greg Pak - Writer

Mirko Colak and Cory Smith - Artists

Lauren Affe - Colorist

Marshall Dillon - Letterer

Bart Sears - Main Cover

 

For those like me who found the first issue of Dynamite’s new Turok series slightly too pedestrian, there is enough really exciting material in the second issue to keep fans coming back. The good new is that plenty of time is given to the Crusader’s and the dramatic implications of why they are currently on the property of Turok, and the rest of his lost clan. Many twists and turns populate this issue, that ends up making for a really entertaining second outing with the property. The main problem here is that writer Greg Pak has not set up a voice for his protagonist that is really interesting up to this point. As a reader, it is very difficult to find something to latch onto in terms of character work, aside from some interesting bits about family relationships.

 

Pak is obviously setting something larger and finding a groove here, so the complaint seems like it may simply take another couple of issues in order to properly develop. Patience is the name of the game, as the revelations still do not explain the larger conflict that is wrapped around this new incarnation of Turok. However, not everything needs to be immediately revealed to the reader. Readers are slowly watching the characters and different premises set into motion in this title, which means that after the world building is shown off, readers could be heading towards a very interesting payoff in the near future. For those who are concerned, there are a number of dinosaurs that were severely lacking in the last installment of the title. There is also a nice cliffhanger, which answers a lingering question that this issue raises with eases. From a story standpoint, there is more layers of plot that are being added into this tale with ease.

 

Mirko Colak and Cory Smith deliver some fine pencils yet again in this installment. The imagery is as crisp as the linework being delivered is sharp. Action sequences are particularly fun, as they fueled with a certain amount of strong energy, thanks to the great letters by Marshall Dillon. The lettering is so good in this comic, that many will simply not even notice it, and just imagine the words like it is a piece of the story being told. Another rousing success is the last page, which features Colak and Smith at their best, delivering something that could look rather dull, and burning the image into the mind of their reader. The only area that could use improvement here is a couple of stiff facial work that makes it slightly difficult to invest in the story at times. The artist and writer work in tandem in this medium, so improving that area would help with some of the characterization and writing problems I have with the series.

For those of you concerned about where Turok was going, put your fears to rest. Greg Pak and Mirko Colak are really starting to find their footing on this title.