Issue: Farscape: Scorpius #2
Release Date: June 9, 2010
Story: Rockne S. O’Bannon
Script: David Alan Mack
Artist: Mike Ruiz
Colors: Nolan Woodard
Letterer: Ed Dukeshire
Cover A: Chad Hardin
Cover B: Nick Runge
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
An ongoing Scorpius series? Why not, if a villain is popular enough he/she usually gets their own comic book series, whether it be mini or ongoing, and they all usually suck. Two issues in and… it still doesn’t suck. I’m not saying it’s perfect, but it’s good, and much better than I expected it to be.
If you haven’t read the previous two issues (#0 and #1), be warned there will be a fair amount of spoilers that follow regarding the previous installments.
This issue follows Scorpius after he kills the Grennij captain at the end of the last issue. The Grennij are the alien race running the Kkore ship. Don’t recognize those names? Yeah, neither did I when I started the series, but it doesn’t really matter. This series hinges on one thing: Scorpius being Scorpius. And so far, it does just that. There are no attempts to make Scorpius a good guy. Rockne S. O’Bannon is plotting a story with the character we all know and love (or love to hate) from the television series and in this issue Scorpius makes no qualms about slaughtering hundreds, if not thousands, just to reach his goal. Scorpius is perhaps second only to Benjamin Linus from Lost in terms of manipulation, and that is an element that this series has flaunted and this issue particularly epitomizes.
The art isn’t astonishing and is too dark at times. The alien race called the Grennij look similar to wolfmen with Abomination fins for ears, but there seems to be little care in the details allowing the reader to tell the members of this species apart. Without the use of names I couldn’t have told one Grennij from another. Normally I wouldn’t care, but as a television series Farscape kept individual members of alien races different. You could tell one Scarran from another even though they looked similar, but the Grennij all look pretty much the same, but might be blamed on some murky coloring. Still, the artist does a good with Scorpius and presents us with an interesting, although a bit Dragonball-y, new character at the end.
I enjoy the pacing of this series and it reminds me more of an HBO series than Farscape, but it certainly works for the subject. In short, if you’re a fan of Farscape, especially its darker side, then you should be reading this series.
Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
About the Author
Christopher Bohler was doomed to geekdom from birth. Named after the legendary horror icon, Christopher Lee, his parents ensured his nerdity with Star Wars toys, comics, and oh so many books.At a young age, Bohler was adopted by a Zenith television set. He's watched just about anything and everything that isn't a reality show. Lil' Bohler's childhood hero was Bill Bixby and he had dreams of being a paleontologist and working with the likes of Robert Bakker. Sadly, something went horribly wrong. Instead of becoming a future scientist, he chose to become an English major with an emphasis on creative writing.
In between there and here, Bohler has managed his father's comic book store, worked at the Battlestar Galactica prop auction, and won a game of Connect Four. Some of his favorite things are Bruce Campbell, tater tots, theoretical physics, Twin Peaks, Farscape, zombies, costuming, and the occasional video game. Bohler loves books, music, movies, comics, video games and above all else... television (it's the future of storytelling, just look at Lost).
Christopher currently lives in Atlanta, GA (sorta) and when he's not in front of a TV, he's working, writing, or drinking. Check out his non-fandom blog, damnitbohler.com, for his adventures into bad taste. If you feel the need you can reach him at bohler@damnitbohler.com.