REVIEW: Remote #5

Double Take are trying something a little different, creating a whole new comic universe based around the classic Night of the Living Dead movie, adding stories through the use of on-screen characters and mainly new ones in a new connected world.  It is an ambitious plan to be sure.

Remote pretty much follows Samantha Stanton as the last remaining DJ, albeit with her own trained undead staff.  Whilst being on the air for 28 hours straight, she has attracted a couple of enemies, despite the fact they are all  under the ownership of one person, Ed Grubler.  Following the events of last issue, Samantha has been hit by a school bus and as a result, grown to be 51 feet tall, as you do.

Reading this book is kind of like giving your brain a soak in straight alcohol.  There seems no rhyme or reason to proceedings.  I understand that it’s based on a movie, and zombies do make an appearance, but a character that grows because she gets hit by a bus?  Looking at the credits for the book, there are two people on story, four people on script ,two on layouts, three on pencils and three on colors.  That’s fourteen people on this book!  Fifteen when you include the letterer! Regular readers of my reviews know my stance on creating by committee and this book proves every single one of concerns.  The book feels like a collection of ideas, only some of which make the grade, with the zombie-lady in the box magic trick generating the only real smile from me.  Art wise, there are some good panels but there is a certain blandness to others.  Saying that the art is best part of the book is not the compliment you may think.

I didn’t know quite what to expect from this book.  Double Take is the comic imprint of video game publisher and distributor Take-Two Interactive and despite the knowledge that former Marvel publisher Bill Jemas brings to the table, using the video game model, where there are a number of writers and artists, tends to clog up the works in comic books.  It is a big ask to base a comic book universe on such a small source as one movie, even if it is a classic.  At this point, Double Take’s ambition is far greater than their finished product.

Writing – 2 Stars
Art – 2.5 Stars
Colors – 2.5 Stars

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Gabe Yocum, Michael Coast (A) Young Heller (CA) Ruiz Burgos

Author Profile

Johnny "The Machine" Hughes
I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow

Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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