They didn’t die. They left.
REXODUS/ Written by JAMES FARR/ Art by JON SOMMARIVA/ Based on original concepts by ERIC LEE & PAUL WIZIKOWSKI/ Published by DARK HORSE COMICS
Come on think back, way back to when your parents first brought you a set of toy dinosaurs. I bet you remember how cool they were, how many battles were waged between the forces of the mighty stegosaurus and its mortal enemy the T-Rex; I know you remember because I sure do. Ever want to get that cool feeling back again? Well thanks to Dark Horse Comics, now you can!
Rexodus is a 122-page graphic novel which tells the exciting tale of what really happened to the dinosaurs. The novel weaves several different genres of fiction together: science fiction, action adventure, horror and space opera. Rexodus combines elements of the above-mentioned genres to form a compelling and thrilling tale that will leave readers desperately turning pages to find out what is going to happen next.
The story opens 64.9 million years ago and shows the exodus (Rexodus) of the dinosaurs from the planet earth. The dinosaurs are shown to be very intelligent and technologically advanced; they are fleeing a terrifying evil called, The Black Blood – a slimy multi-tentacle monster that consumes all it touches.
The main character of the story is Kelvin Sauridian, son of K’vark a legendary warrior. K’vark locks Kelvin in a ship and leaves to face The Black Blood alone to make sure his son and the rest of the survivors escape the planet. While his father battles The Black Blood, Kelvin ejects his ship to go back for his father, but alas, as he reaches Earth he succumbs to the hibernation in his pod and freezes for the next 64 million years.
Fast forward to the present and a corporation is drilling for oil where Kelvin is buried; he is accidentally awakened by Amber, the daughter of the paleontologist the corporation has brought in to inspect the site. When The Black Blood is released again, Kelvin saves Amber and together they must figure out how to survive and save earth from the terror of The Black Blood.
Overall, Rexodus is really enjoyable graphic novel. The story, scripted by James Farr and created by Eric Lee and Paul Wizikowski, is engrossing and exciting. The characters are all well-rounded and feel very real and believable. Despite only being in the book for a few pages, Kelvin’s father is written well enough that his fatherly urge to protect his son above all else comes across very strongly. The script also features many humorous moments which help to further develop the characters, making them more than just drawings on a page.
The artwork flows well with the story and creatively shows several views of the action within a single frame. Jon Sommariva does a great job bringing a difficult subject to life and making it not feel silly or contrived. Never once are readers pulled out of the story or made to think the story is unrealistic because the artwork is so focused. The inking and colors of the book also did a good job of conveying the story and characters; without the right color, a story like Rexodus could have very well turned out different.
I greatly enjoyed my time reading Rexodus and highly recommend it to those who enjoy an original story, great characters and terrific artwork.