Dub Trub 1: Our World Is In Danger Now!

Posted: Tuesday, August 17, 2004
By: Darren Schroeder

Cover of Dub Trub 1: Our World Is In Danger Now! Creator(s): Carter Allen
Publishers: Candle Light Press
From: USA
Price: $9.95(US)

Specila Agents Red and Black do their best to save earth from an alien invasion while looking glamourous. Seems the Voyd Empire has in in for our planet. Their forces have established beachheads across the world and it's an all out war to keep stop them from gaining more ground.

This book is instantly appealing with its snappy dialogue and fast paced actions. Red and Black are two cool ladies who carry off saving the world with the sophistication of an TV's paragon of Sixties cool Emma Peel. Brave, strong and light hearted, they show the aliens whose boss. The villains share the same tailor as Ming the Merciless' and the same tenacity. Both hero's and villains live to fight another day, while the grunts do all the dying.

The artwork has a very pop art look to it, with a pencils and live models mixed with vector graphics. The clean curves the shapes used to build up the scenes give the book a cartoon feel. The heroes are sexy with out being sleazy, and the artwork screams out modern and fun.

Carter keeps the tone of the book light for the first three chapters as punches are traded, giant fleets clash and mega mechanoides are put into action. Things fly by at a crisp pace and I was starting to fall into cruise mode - girl fights robot with some snappy dialogue page after pager. Then Carter pulled off a master stroke with a fourth chapter that switches into grim and gritty war mode as we see the combat from a human foot soldier. Krepe admires and despises Red and Black. Their help is appreciated, but their aloofness and light hearted approach to the war irks when Krepe has seen her family massacred and the ravages of war. She's bitter and disillusioned but won't give up the fight.

With the first three chapters alone this would be fun but rather disposable romp in space opera goofiness. The contrast of the forth chapter lifts it up to memorable status. Carter can handle fun and serious tales with equal flare.

In a Word: Victorious..



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