RED SKULL #1
Written by Joshua Williamson
Art by Luca Pizzari and Rainier Beredo
Published by Marvel Comics
Release date: July 1, 2015

Another week means another Secret Wars tie in that leaves you slightly confused as to why they are all so good. The week saw the release of Red Skull #1, a tongue in cheek action comic that plays up to all your favourite movie tropes and has a lot of fun while doing so.

Set across the domains of Killville, home to Battleworld’s seedy underbelly, and the Deadlands, the zombie filled realm that lies beyond the relative safety of the shield, Red Skull #1 rolls out like a 1980s action movie by pitting a team of criminals against impossible odds in order to win their freedom.

There are hints of The Running Man, Escape from New York, and in the not entirely unexpected climax, The Terminator. Much like the aforementioned action movies, Red Skull is violent but in a sort of silly, over the top way that lends to the trashier, pulp aspects of the story.

Josh Williamson has chosen quite an interesting team on which to focus his book and the resultant clash of personalities and motivations is a lot of fun. The dialogue is witty, and relives the tension of what could be quite a serious book, instead making it rather entertaining.

Colorist Rainier Beredo uses a palette built of grays and dirty reds to create the gritty atmosphere that is so vital to the overall feel and perfectly complements Luca Pizzari’s art which also goes in for that pulpy vibe with sketchy line work and lots of heavy blacks. The use of facial expressions is also incredibly effective in so much as I have never read a book where so many people look so thoroughly put out by every aspect of their current situation. It’s kind of hilarious and completely in keeping with the story and tone of the book.

Red Skull #1 stands as a great start to yet another promising Secret Wars tie-in, that I believe gives us some hope for October’s relaunch. If action movies, or just fun in general, are your thing, Red Skull #1 is definitely worth a look.

The Verdict: 8.0/10