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Published by: IDW Publishing
Released on: Feb. 19, 2014
Writer: Gary Gerani
Artists: Earl Norem, Herb trimpe, Flynt Henry, J.K. Woodward
Cover: Earl Norem
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kindle version
IDW reprints its reprint series of Dinosaurs Attack, originally published by Eclipse Comics in the 90s, but only one issue actually made it to press. The five issues are made easily available all in one book now, decades later, complete with the painted covers that were to be used in a gallery at the end of the book (as well as a couple other treats). For those who are unaware, this was a trading card series that turned into a comic book, rather than the usual other way around, and was published in the late 80s. The intent was to cash in on the dino-craze sweeping the kids at the time, and they used t he successful formula of the 1960s Norman Saunders' classic card set titled Mars Attacks. The writer supplies more information about the history of the project in a section after the story.
Brilliant scientist Professor Elias Thorne, stationed on the space station Prometheus, has an invention that will allow scientists to look back in time and see things as they really were, and what better era to study than one of the -“zoic†eras and spy on the dinosaurs. That seems harmless enough; it's not like the dinosaurs can see them or cause any harm to them. It'll be like watching the prehistoric beasts via live camera.
Once Thorne fires up the machine, guess what? Dinosaurs are teleported to the present day (although the story takes place in the near future) and they do what dinosaurs did: eat things. And they certainly have an abundant supply of food in this new setting and time. No one is safe from the giant reptiles, other than those on the space station, and the animals cause plenty of death and destruction all over the globe.
As all this is happening, Thorne and his team, which includes his ex(?)-wife who poo-poos the whole project and thinks he's making a mistake by fucking around with time and playing God. But there is more to this side of the story than just their relationship; it's also about Thorne's struggle with faith and believing in things other than what he can see in front of him, and this plays a big role in the dinosaur invasion.
The story is fun enough, although somewhat hokey with the psychological efforts concerning Thorne's character. The human-munching dinosaur devastation is very satisfying, though and it runs rampant throughout. Although nowhere near as fun as the trading cards, which told a similar if not the same story, but it's still a fun read. The main draw is the artwork, specifically Earl Norem's paintings. He does all the covers and some of the interiors, and his stuff clobbers the work by the other artists in the series. There is just no comparison. That fact that his art is the only painted artwork is part of that, but even so he shines like no other in this book. Plus he gets the money shots, as practically ever dinosaur panel and gore splatter is of his hand.
The story offers plenty of blood and guts, kids die, old ladies serve shot gun blasts to the faces of their attackers, urinating hunters get eaten, Golden Gate Bridges get demolished, and intestines paint the pages. If you like giant monsters running amuck, you can't go wrong with Dinosaurs Attack.
