The Cosplayer That Doomed the Earth from Dan Harris has already impressed with it’s first & second issues and with it settling into it a steady flow, I got an early look at the third in the series.
Having seen Griff’s love of computer games evolve into Cosplay & then into an Alien invasion, it’s fair to say that things have taken a turn for our loveable central character but we kick-off the latest issue with a flashback to his gaming days and the crushing reality he now finds himself in. A whirlwind wedding sees him take one for the team in order to ensure the next phase of their plan works out but given his luck ran out a long time ago, he’s still coasting along as best he can with his crew and friend Lee to try and dig them all out of trouble.
That marriage doesn’t go unnoticed in the wider Galaxy and they’re soon fleeing the big event with a target on their back & a half-assed plan in full swing but still trying to make best of a bad situation. Griff’s mix of surprise & acceptance are just as contagious here as the plot unravels around him and he finds himself dragged along with every decision but the humour, action, & sci-fi elements are well balanced to make this something we get swept along with too.
Dan’s really got into his stride over the course of these three issues so far and with each one he seems to be melding together all those different ideas together with ease. The pacing means the humour beats hit as they need to and that’s all while developing characters, building a world and keeping sci-fi & action a firm part of Griff’s world. The fact his world is spiraling increasingly out of his control just adds to the interest in just what is going to happen next and it has me hoping this will run beyond an initial series.
That’s all combined with artwork that supports those themes and then elevates everything into a slick flow of ideas that fit together far better than you might initially have expected. The bold colours, the quirky characters and pretty much everything else fills the pages with a fun ride to be lost in and kudos to HdE on the lettering for this one too. The pop culture references, the subtle jokes, & the momentum are all firing well and this makes The Cosplayer That Doomed the Earth a firm entry in my regular pull list as far as I’m concerned. Already looking forward to what’s still to come.
You can get hold of this and the previous issues through the campaign link below:
The Cosplayer That Doomed the Earth #3 Kickstarter
You can also catch up with Dan’s work & his Pencil Pirates work as well as HdE’s work through the links below:
Dan – Twitter, Instagram, Patreon
Pencil Pirates – Twitter, Facebook, Etsy
HdE – Website, Twitter, Facebook
9/10
G-Man
COMICS ANONYMOUS 