With the fifth and final issue of Jim Alexander’s Amazing & Fantastic Tales launching tomorrow I thought it was about time I took another look at the whole series.
The entire run is made up of a mix of prose & classic comic stories and while Jim hands the writing reigns over at some stage across the first four issues, it’s still very much Jim’s title. The mix of prose & classic comic tales across the series may frustrate some readers who are looking for just a comic book fix but there are some great stories across them. While it shows off Jim’s talents as both a storyteller & a writer, he’s also managed to balance that well with his choice of fellow contributors and the John McShane, Luke Cooper, Ed Murphy and more all chip in with their own impressive flair…..and ultimately give each issue a well-rounded feel.
The collection of different artistic & writing styles makes this a page-turner from issue one through to five and the stories themselves are as varied as the styles but that’s an added bonus with sci-fi, horror, western and more being moulded into an anthology that offers something for everyone.
Taking centre stage across the issues (and particularly in issue five) are two of Jim’s serialized stories – Kroom & The Last Posse. These two are a highlight for me as they show a clear example of the variation that Planet Jimbot titles offer with the consistent element of a solid, character driven story that intrigues. That’s the main success on this release too with a series of different world’s been opened up for you to enjoy and while they may be more likely to grab you if you can take a complete read through all five issues in one go or even just pick a story and read it through – the rewards are there if you do.
The serialized stories all come to a natural and satisfying end but I can’t help thinking that I’d like to have seen more of this. That being said, there will surely be other titles from Jim and some of the contributors and where Amazing & Fantastic seems to be the most suitable title for this as that’s what you get consistently from the writing & art.
Go get hold of the complete series and be sure and check out the Facebook event for details on the issue #5 launch tomorrow where you can get hold of the whole series….and more.
9/10
G-Man
COMICS ANONYMOUS 