WE LOST. THEY WON
Extermination #1 from Boom! Studios opens up on a post-apocalyptic world in the wake of an alien invasion. The first issue centers on the unlikely pairing of Nox, a gadgeteer hero who’s gruff but lacks a killer instinct, and The Red Reaper, a mad scientist that was once Nox’s arch rival. The two are on a road movie quest to get to Nox’s old lair, hoping that they can salvage equipment to help them survive in the wasteland that the world has become. And along the way they have fight their wat through the alien menace that has ravaged the world.
Flashback scenes are interminged throughout the issue. The flashbacks show Nox and The Red Reaper fighting against each other, establishing them as enemies, which makes for an interesting contrast to the present where they are forced by circumstances to work together. This world’s greatest hero is forced into an alliance with the world’s deadliest super-villain to prevent their own extermination. But its an alliance which could explode at any time.
The story written by Simon Spurrier sets up a brutal world where enemies must make alliances with each other in order to survive. The post-apocalyptic world of Extermination where survivors struggle to not become alien food is a compelling setting for the comic book. The dynamic of Nox and The Red Reaper being forced to work, and what passes as a relationship that they forge together despite their history is an interesting aspect of the comic.
Another intriguing facet is the question of what are you willing to do to survive. Nox is called a boy scout by Red Reaper. Nox may look and act scary, but he says that he won’t kill. He has an aversion to even using fowl language, something that he harps on people about throughout the issue. But Red Reaper questions if his values should be structured on a sliding scale given the situation that they find themselves in. Its an interesting question. And how Nox will deal with it, and how it effects him adds texture to the story.
The comic book has solid art by Jeffrey Edwards, with colors by Blond, and lettering by Ed Dukeshire. With the art I was able to get into the story and follow the journey that the characters are embarking on.
Extermination #1 is a good comic thats worth checking out. The uneasy partnership of the characters and the predicaments that they find themselves in makes this an interesting read.
