Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman # 1-4
Written by: Josh S. Henaman
Line Art: Andy Taylor
Colors by: Thomas Bonvillain
Published by: Brewhouse Comics
Reviewed by: Kristian Horn
Coming in with possibly the best comic book concept of the year is Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman. The citizens of the planet Mars have found themselves under the rule of a malicious dictator and in their desperation use the art of interstellar sorcery to transport a hero from the planet Earth to aid them in rebelling against their oppressive master. Instead of someone like John Carter, however, they pull the one and only Bigfoot across the spaceways to fight for them in their time of need. Yes, instead of teleporting one of the billions of homo sapiens from their neighboring planet, what the wizards of Mars yank into their own Martian rebellion is the missing link himself: Sasquatch.
If that synopsis alone doesn’t grab you then you best just stop reading now. As a matter of fact you should just resign yourself to not liking anything that I like because if ever a concept was created to pique my interest it is the concept behind Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman. I mean, c’mon, it’s Bigfoot on Mars, fer cryin’ out loud! How can you not love that???
Josh S. Henaman takes an already terrific basic concept and is able to build upon it quite successfully. Henaman takes elements of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, Sergio Leone, and Marvel’s Planet Hulk and mixes them into a fun-filled sword and sorcery package. Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman is a comic that could have easily fallen apart after the first issue but Henaman and co. do a great job of pulling their ideas together into a coherent adventure tale that is a very entertaining read. The momentum of the story builds with each subsequent issue and by the fourth installment I found myself fully immersed in the escapades of the Bigfoot warrior of Mars and the dodgy Martian guide who befriends him.
The artwork in Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman is impressive as well. Artist Andy Taylor’s art is solid and has a bit of what seems to be a bit of a Bernie Wrightson influence. I did find the line work in issues two and three to seem to be a bit rushed but the competency of Thomas Bonvillain’s colors kept the visual quality from suffering too much. By issue four Taylor seemed to be back on track and Bigfoot’s art was looking as solid as the first issue’s was. I don’t want it to seem as if I’m disparaging the art of this comic because even with the somewhat minimized line art of issues two and three Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman is still a great book to look at. It just seemed to me that for a couple of issues the quality control on the book’s visuals may have slipped a bit. In all honesty, I really do feel that Andy Taylor looks to be an artist with incredible potential. I just have a feeling that the crunch of producing an indie book might have been crimping his style a bit.
In any case, Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman is a hell of a fun comic. It’s got action, aliens, sorcery….everything a sci-fi/comic book fanboy could ever want in a comic book. I’ve got a feeling that this is a book that’s just getting its bearings and could have some great things in store for any readers open minded enough to check it out. Henaman, Taylor, and Bonvillain have something that could take the comic world by storm if they manage their property correctly. I, for one, am very interested to see where they will take Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman because if these first four issues are any indication…it’s going to be a very fun ride.
