Miracle Force #17

Posted: Tuesday, March 21, 2006
By: Steve Saville

Cover of Miracle Force #17 Creator(s): Jerry Smith
Publishers: Self Published
From: USA
Price: $2(US)

In my review of Miracle Force #16, I expressed an interest in seeing if Diminutive Lass managed to acquire nipples in #17, well the answer is no, so I guess it’s time for me to let that go and move on.

Like the previous edition Miracle Force #17 presents the reader with a diverse set of characters and a fast moving plot. The tiny Wasper Men themselves [and in particular their leader, Thorax] are torn between heroic exploits and a nagging sense of sexual insecurity. This is not helped when the object of Thorax’s desire, Diminutive Lass knocks him out with her "bottom".

A strange choice of weapon but in this case an effective one.

The narrative still jumps around a bit and this tends to get in the way of plot cohesion and so Diminutive Lass is confronted by a full size cat but this doesn’t seem to go anywhere, The ugly, evil and spindly legged teddy bear creature [also known as Carl] worries about waking up and suddenly finding himself left handed, but this doesn’t seem to go anywhere. Mind you he also is concerned about a pimple that seems to be growing, at first he fears that he is developing boobies, then a tumour until finally in an "Alien" style eruption Shadow Beast bursts out of his chest with tales of woe and reborn evil, so some of Carl’s fears are well justified.

I have to admit Smith populates his world with a fascinating array of characters. At times the dialogue is a little wooden and this static feel is not helped by a reliance on a fairly predictable six- frame page format.

I have no doubt at all that Smith is enjoying himself immensely with Miracle Force. How could he fail to, I mean look at the final frame of this edition, here we have three characters standing before a river. Carl, the evil teddy bear with the Shadow Beast sticking out of his chest, Gilroid the robot creature that has a fish in a fish bowl for a head and a Minotaur, how couldn’t he be having fun. Good on him to.

I must admit that I felt more comfortable with Miracle Force this time round as I got to know some of the characters a bit more but I am still not convinced with the narrative. I believe it needs to tighten up if it is to capture and retain reader interest.

In a Word: Nippleless.



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