From writer Ash Maczko and artist Ashley Witter (Team Ash), comes the groundbreaking comic series Squarriors from Devil’s Due Entertainment. Check out my review of issue 4 right here!
Since the demise of humanity, the remaining animal life on the planet have become intelligent. The sudden spark of rational thought creates an internal struggle for these creatures; instinct versus reason. Animals of all species find themselves creating tribes and societies-each with their own beliefs, leaders, laws, and even armies. Some are working to be civilized while others embrace the barbaric ways of their ancestors.
If you thought the backstabbing betrayal of issue #3 was some shocking stuff then be prepared to have your mind blown all over the floor once again. Squarriors #4, aka the season finale, aka the last chapter of story arc 1, is a beast. Writer Ash Maczko has jampacked so much story and so much action into the issue that it’s almost a little hard to handle everything as it is revealed. I found myself flipping back two-three pages after every twist because I thought I may have missed something. At first I took this as a negative but as I went through the comic again, the frenzied and chaotic nature of the flashback mixed into the present day situation started to make sense.
That very issue that I had where I wound up lost and confused wouldn’t be a problem if I had read this in trade paperback form. I had forgotten some things and I didn’t pay attention to the pieces of this complex puzzle as it was being put together in the most intricate ways possible. Maczko has crafted an epic and deeply layered backstory to these warring tribes of animals and he’s done so in ways that have thickened the plot significantly. The world of Squarriors is much more than just blood and rodents and I appreciate Maczko for putting so much effort into his meaty storyline.
I knew from early on that there would be more to the Tin Kin vs Maw and those suspicions were justified in this finale. Tribes clash in an epic battle, an extremely vital flashback reveals some dark secrets for the Tin Kin and there will be casualties… Oh yes – there will be casualties….
Squarriors isn’t a good vs evil series: both sides have their reasons for fighting these battles and I love that approach to this tale. As always Ashley Witter’s art is among the best work of the year. The action showcased in this chapter is the most brutal and shocking of the series thus far and there’s a moment where someone rips off a foe’s head and proceeds to wear it like a hat. There’s some deeply disturbing shit going on in Squarriors and I like it.
Rating: [star rating=”4.5″]