Art Adams' Creature Features [1996] (Random Comics Theatre)

Random Comics Theatre

Art Adams' Creature Features [1996]

No secret that Art Adams, he likes the monsters. This collection brings together a few examples of that from the previous few years, under a new cover by Adams and with a goofy introduction by Geof Darrow.

First up is his 1993 adaptation of the 1954 movie CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, written by Steve Moncuse and inked by Terry Austin. I think the story was that Dark Horse got the license to various Universal horror movies, and Adams wanted to do a sequel to CREATURE, but was persuaded to to an adaptation first. No sequel followed, unfortunately.

Been a long time since I've seen the movie, but this seems pretty faithful to what I remember. Which might not be a good thing, as the movie has a lot of slow bits between appearances of the creature, which work better on screen than on the page. It really comes alive here when the creature shows up, which takes too long (especially since its appearance is obviously no great surprise, being on the cover of the book). I think a sequel might have been a better way to go. There are some fun bits, and the Adams/Austin art is always pretty.

Next up is a Godzilla story from a 1992 one-shot, co-written by Adams and Randy Stradley. This plays much more to Adams' strengths, with Godzilla attacking a remote Japanese island which is protected by a giant samurai demon. Lots of action ensues, full of iconic drawings of Godzilla. Might be my favourite Art Adams comic of all time.

A few shorts in the back, two early hard-to-find 4-page Monkeyman & O'Brien stories, featuring Adams' original characters, a giant ape and giant girl, designed to let him draw any kind of monster stories he wants and a colour version of his adaptation of Alan Moore's poetic ode to kaiju, "Trampling Tokyo", from NEGATIVE BURN #18 [1994].