The evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, The Intelligence Support Activity, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY.
The Good
This is a pretty cool new series from Image Comics. Usually, special forces books are not my “cup of tea,” unless the team is made of super heroes, but this book was interesting enough to keep me on my toes. There’s a lot going on in this issue, and it will keep you glued to the pages.
By far, the best part of this book is the art. Mitch Gerads does an amazing job on this issue. The only real comparison I can make is that Mitch’s style is a bit like Jock, but with heavier outline inking. He also incorporates texture a lot more. One thing I found myself loving was something kind of small and essentially insignificant, and that’s how Mitch Gerads draws fire. The colors look great; it’s very chaotic, and familiar. One of my favorite pages in the book is a splash page of an airplane taking off. Sounds weird, doesn’t it? Technically, it’s three panels, but the way it is put together and flows makes it feel like one panel.
The end of the issue is really where this book kicks it into high gear towards the end of the issue. I liked seeing how this plan all came together and the execution of said plan. Solid covert-ops action. The dialogue really helped slow down the pace during the final scenes, and it all felt very natural. Nothing feels forced in The Activity or thrown into the book without rhyme or reason, which is becoming a rarity now-a-days in comics.
The Bad
These types of books usually aren’t my favorite genre of stories. While the books was interesting and overall a very good book, it’s was just ok for me. The dialogue and art are dynamite though, so don't let think I hate the book. I just don't care for the genre.
Starts off pretty slow. I found myself just waiting for something, anything, to happen. They end of the issue payoff just wasn't big enough for the slow start though.
The Verdict
Overall, this is a great start for this new Image book. If you like books about special forces, then this is for you. Mitch Gerads' art was my favorite thing about this issue. I really like his style and the way he draws fire... Yes, I like how he draws fire. The pacing, towards the end of the book was great, and it was slowed down, in a good way, by dialogue, giving a realistic feel to the action on the pages. However, I'm not a fan of this genre, so the book was a bit tough to read, for me, and I felt the book started off a bit slow. In the end, even though I may not like the genre, I really enjoyed the book, and I'm excited to keep reading The Activity. I recommend this book.
Sadly, The Activity won't be out until December 21st, and it is offered in the October issue of Previews ($3.50), so place your orders when it's offered. It's well worth the wait.
Written by Nathan Edmondson (WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, OLYMPUS, Grifter)
Drawn by Mitch Gerads (Doctor Who, Stan Lee's Starborn)
