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Marksmen Volume 1

By Leroy Douresseaux
May 17, 2012 - 11:39

Marksmen Volume 1 cover image

Marksmen is a six-issue miniseries produced by Benaroya Publishing and published by Image Comics.  The just released Marksmen Volume 1 is a trade paperback collecting all six issues of the series with new material, including an afterword by Hugo Award-winning science fiction author, Vernor Vinge.

Created by Michael Benaroya, David Baxter, and Dave Elliot, Marksmen is a dystopian science fiction series.  It is set 60 years after a global financial meltdown led to a civil war that splintered the United States into warring fiefdoms.  Most of the action takes place in and around New San Diego (NSD), a technocratic utopia that offers the last bastion of peace and prosperity for those that live within its walls.  Sgt. Drake McCoy, NSD’s best protector, is one of a select group known as the Marksmen, a defensive force descended from the Navy SEALs.  The Marksmen defend the city from the numerous human threats that exist in the wasteland outside New San Diego’s walls.

Now, there is a new threat.  The oil rich Lone Star State is sending a powerful army to steal New San Diego’s technological secrets.  Arriving ahead of them is a renegade group of former Lone Star State denizens.  One of them is Joe Percival, a former NSD with ties to Drake’s father, Admiral Leo McCoy, and his mother, Dr. Sharon Heston, the NSD’s head scientist.  Will Percival and his son, Sean, have anything that can help Drake and the NSD stop the Lone Star Rangers?  Or are the Rangers’ charismatic leader, The Duke, and resident religious fanatic, Deacon Glenn, really unstoppable?

THE LOWDOWN:  There is not much to say about Marksmen other than to say that it is a damn good read.  On Monday, May 14, I received a review copy from Benaroya Publishing.  I read the first two chapters on Tuesday, May 15.  On Wednesday, May 16, I practically devoured Chapters 3 to 6 and I wanted more.  Marksmen is like Black Hawk Down meets Mad Max, but Marksmen’s villains are scarier than the bad guys in either of those movies.

This is a well-thought out future scenario.  Writer David Baxter offers some sharp commentary on the real world social, political, and financial situations happening right now that could lead to a situation similar to the one presented in Marksmen.  Then, Baxter turns it into a breathtaking science fiction and military action thriller.  It is more popcorn fun than most Hollywood heavy hitter action flicks, and it is scarier because this story’s basis is grounded in the current disquieting reality.

On the storytelling end, the art by Javier Aranda (pencils) and Gary Leach (finishes) is good, but Aranda’s pencils don’t display the polished quality of a veteran artist.  Composition and the layout of some of the panel interiors is a little off.  However, Aranda has the ability to create drama and tension that grabs the reader, and he has a knack for visualizing both physical and non-physical conflict.  This is why Marksmen keeps hitting the mark.

POSSIBLE AUDIENCE:  Readers looking for credible comic book action thrillers will want Marksmen Volume 1 for repeated readings.

Rating: 8.5 /10

Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12