Red Spike – Tpb
Publisher: Image/Benaroya
Writer: Jeff Cahn (created by Michael Benaroya & Jeff Cahn)
Artists: Salvador Navarro & Mark Texeira (cover by Mark Texeira)
Colorist: Ifansyah Noor
After being in awe of Samurai’s Blood last year, I was definitely interested in more from Benaroya Publishing. Well, I didn’t have to look very far, because Red Spike is right up my alley! One of my favorite characters of all time is Captain America, and this book is definitely a cross between that character and the Punisher, in my opinion. The premise for the book is that the government has a super soldier program, which not only is top secret, but it’s also a bit dirty.
We follow the progress of two volunteers; Matt, who is the typical obedient soldier. Then there’s Greg, who’s just the opposite. A hot-head that can’t or won’t follow orders. This volatile mix is perfect for any book with guns, explosions, and a chick caught in the middle of two steroid induced men. The origin of the two soldiers is sprinkled about the book slowly, and that only feeds the hunger for more and more as you read on. The two seem to have a friendly competition at first, but it boils over in a bad way. This book is a must have for any Captain America, Punisher, or just plain old action comic book fan. You won’t be disappointed, because the intrigue alongside the non-stop explosions and bullets flying around makes this book a winner.
Any time the name Mark Texeira is attached to a book, it’s definitely heading in the right direction. His work (Ghost Rider, Wolverine) is very hardcore and gritty. The perfect combination for a book of this genre. There are people that are muscular, but not ridiculous looking like in some other books. You know, the kind that look all disfigured instead of realistic. That happens way too often, but not here. Here we see this type of book at its best, with thrills and dialog that compliment each other so well, you don’t even realize this isn’t a big publisher book. One scene in particular really set the tone for the entire book. One of the soldiers rips off the head of the Lincoln Memorial, and then throws it at someone else. It might sound strange, but it totally rocked, and made the book jump into a higher gear.
Kudos to Benaroya Publishing! These guys have put out two fantastic books that I’ve read now (Samurai’s Blood being the other), and I can’t see them stopping this trend any time soon. They really have something special brewing right now, and with Image Comics willing to back these guys up, the sky is the limit! Rating 4/5
Billy Dunleavy
billy@comicattack.net
