Oni Press’s EC Comics revival has been notable not just for bringing non-super-hero genre comics fiction to the fore but for being at the front of a mini resurgence in accessible periodical comics. Monthly issues that you can pick up without foreknowledge or a deep investment in incremental plotlines and continuity. It hearkens back to a largely lost era of comics narrative delivery and is a much welcome enticement for the more casual reader.
Cover by Mike Huddleston
Cruel Universe Vol. II #7 is another strong example of this (the unnecessary renumbering is the one misstep Oni have made here in regards to the preceding paragraph – surely a retitling as per their EC horror books would have been less confusing to a new audience?). The first story in this sci-fi collection is Greg Pak and David Lapham’s ‘Feature or Bug’ with suitably oppressive colouring by Nick Filardi. This story of alien insectoid invasion/assimilation from the ever dependable Pak serves as a reminder that the EC revival also acts as a vehicle for established fan favourite artists to work on genre narrative in discrete, shorter-form offerings.
Cover by Tom Fowler
Both ‘Feature or Bug’ and the second story ‘War Machines’ by Anthony Mauro and Kano work on the old EC principle of the twist ending that you may, or may not have, seen coming. That in itself makes them somewhat difficult to discuss without giving away too much in the analysis. But ‘War Machines’ is a chilling exploration of the depersonalisation of war that is relevant and also a fitting re-creation of that EC ideal of dramatic and natural justice by story’s end. Kano’s art captures the clinical horror of the narrative with appropriate grimness.
Cover by Albert Monteys
The pick of Cruel Universe #7 though is Amy Roy and Malachi Ward’s ‘Artificial Insanity’. Science fiction is always at its best as a genre when it’s infused with social commentary and this is about as pertinent as it can get right now given the existential threat that generative AI brings to the arts and creativity. A young boy’s love of stories, together with his inherent loneliness, leads to him creating a robot as a companion. In later life Bill’s attempts to market this invention fall flat until the robot, Alfred, starts consuming every novel created and pumping out terrible but bizarrely commercially successful slop.
Art by Malachi Ward
As the story progresses the devastation that ensues creates a society that appreciates only the inane and the aesthetically worthless. Ward’s art and use of colour reflects this cultural collapse on-page in real meta, pure language of comics ways. It’s a damning indictment of where we are now and where we could be further down the line and, quite frankly, it’s the very best thing to have come out of the revived EC line to date. A short comics masterpiece that will hopefully be on a few awards shortlists at the end of the year.
Another rock solid collection of “Bizarre Tales of Time and Space” that is definitely worth your attention.
Greg Pak, Anthony Mauro, Amy Roy (W), David Lapham, Kano, Malachi Ward (A), Nick Filardi (C), Richard Starkings, Comicraft’s Tylet Smith (L), Mike Huddleston, Tom Fowler, Albert Monteys (CA) • Oni Press, $4.99
Review by Andy Oliver
