Spectrum, Review (Time Bomb Comics)
Time Bomb Comics partnered with Anderson Entertainment to create a unique anthology with original stories for New Captain Scarlet, Space Precinct and Terrahawks. Spectrum was successfully funded on Kickstarter earlier this year, and if that brilliant colourful cover doesn't immediately grab your attention, then the contents should.
The New Captain Scarlet grabbed my interest immediately as I can remember watching the TV series with my older brother when I was much younger. Space Precinct and Terrahwaks are entirely new to me. So, having a page before each story giving some background information on where to come into the stories was incredibly helpful.
New Captain Scarlet is written by Steve Tanner, with Pete Woods on art and James Gray lettering. The Mysterons are still waging war on Earth. Their primary agent on Earth is former Spectrum officer Captain Black - who also happens to be Captain Scarlet's former best friend. The story takes place on an oil rig deep within the North Sea.
The art by Woods is pleasing to the eye. There are some parts where extra details would have been welcome, though. It made me think back to what I remember from the TV series. Besides the facial expressions, it looks like the marionettes in comic form, which I found pretty enjoyable. And the story by Tanner would undoubtedly suit an episode of Captain Scarlet. There's a double-cross, explosions and Captain Scarlet doing what Captain Scarlet does - saving the day.
Next up is Space Precinct 2040. Written by Richmond Clements, with art and lettering by James Gray. Lieutenant Patrick Brogan and Officer Jack Haldane have joined the elite ranks of the Demeter City Police Department on the planet Altor. Now they're dealing with a serial killer that matches killings from Brogan's time in New York. Is it a copycat, or is it the same killer?
The art from Gray is matched by Clements's story. It's a really enjoyable episode that makes me want more. There's some fantastic linework and colouring, including greyed our flashback panels. Space cops are right up my alley, and even with aliens involved, it's not too far removed from our world with the callback to the killings Brogan remembers from earlier in his career.
Finally, there's Terrahawks. An Earth Defence Squadron (known as Terrahawks) was formed in order to defend Earth from the threat posed by an evil android Zelda, queen of the planet Guk. Terrahawks is written by Dan Whitehead, with art by Ste Pickford and James Gray once again - he's done a brilliant job on lettering throughout. As much as I enjoyed the art on Space Precinct, Pickfords style on Terrahawks is definitely my favourite of the three. It's a style that screams fun, and that also shows through the colours.
Whitehead has produced a fun story to go along with that, and having a Scooby-doo moment in a sci-fi setting gave me a good laugh. I might not know the source material, but that doesn't matter. It's still fun entertainment.
Spectrum is a fun read overall. It's made me wish that I knew more of the source material beforehand, but only knowing Captain Scarlet previously didn't harm my enjoyment of the rest. In fact, if there were to be more of Space Precinct, in particular, I'd be happy. That was the standout story, but only just. The whole issue is a good reminder that there are still legs in some older TV series, especially when it comes to comics. If there's going to be a Spectrum #2 featuring these three series once more, then I'm very much interested.
If you want to get your hands on a copy, then head over to the Time Bomb Comics website, where you can get a digital copy for £5 or a physical copy for a little over £8 if you're in the UK. It'll be money well spent.
Rating: 4.5/5
