The writing team behind “Hoax Hunters” has appropriately teamed up with Monkeybrain to launch “Prime-8’s,” a spectacular tribute to saturday morning cartoons and Jack Kirby. Essentially, they’ve managed to package and sell concentrated childhood.
Written by Michael Moreci and Steve Seeley
Illustrated by Kyle LatinoThese eight super-powered primates were once the greatest fighting force known to man, and the Earth’s truest defenders. Having disbanded after averting an apocalyptic event, these heroes are supposed to be leading “normal” lives. But when a forgotten evil returns, they must try to recapture their former glory–and decide if they even should.
Originally conceived as a part of the “Mini Comics Included!”, “Prime-8’s” is a superhero tale steeped in the Silver Age of comics and 80’s cartoons. The team of eight primates of various species and abilities are cut from the same cloth as the Fantastic Four or the Challengers of the Unknown. Their forms instantly recall the likes of the Thundercats or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Moreci, Seeley, and Latina play the nostalgia card hard, but don’t rely on it to sell the issue. No, the story, characters, and art do that all on their own.
Through a fun but quick recap sequence, the reader is quickly caught up on the history of the Prime-8’s team. This isn’t an origin story, but rather a continuation of tales that, though they’ve yet to be told, exist vividly within the hearts and minds of every child of the 80’s and 90’s. When we find the Prime-8’s, they are instantly relatable and recognizable, and each character is unique enough to stand out from the somewhat large cast. Fourilla and Ba-Boom are early favorites, but each member brings something unique to the table.
It wouldn’t be a good anthropomorphic animal superhero book without some equally zany villains. Characters like Ana Conda and Bear Naked (an actual hairless, naked bear) are just the tip of the iceberg, working for a big bad that is equal parts Darth Vader and Doctor Doom.
The issue’s major strength lies in these stellar designs by artist Kyle Latino. Relatively new to the mainstream comic scene, Latino’s style is fantastic mix of old and new. There’s a heavy Kirby influence, from the high energy action sequences (complete with requisite explosions and krackle) to the characters’ costumes and gadgetry. At the same time, Latino’s rough hewn but extremely detailed work feels right at home with contemporaries like Matteo Scalera. Colorists Stephen Bobbett and Jordan Gibson complement Latino’s pencils perfectly, rivaling the work of much more seasoned art teams.
“Prime-8’s” may seem a little silly at first, and that’s because it is. It wears that goofiness on its sleeve and runs with it, all the while managing to tell a respectable, though well trodden, superhero drama. More than anything, “Prime-8’s” is a fun comic, a call back to an earlier time while remaining perfectly suited for modern audiences of any age. Furthermore, as a full length comic (by modern standards) priced at a measly $0.99, “Prime-8’s” puts nearly every Big-Two book, and even some of its indie contemporaries, to absolute shame. There’s literally no reason not to check this book out.
Final Verdict: 8.6 – Buy. A fun and nostalgic trip, and a terrific glimpse at what comics can offer.
