Sky Sharks Recommended

Publisher
Antarctic Press
Writer
Fred Perry, Wes Hartman
Artist
Fred Perry, Wes Hartman
Country of origin
US
Year
2007

Sky Sharks #2 & #3 (5)

By David Rasmussen
19th Jan 08

It has been (once again) awhile since we last sat down and reviewed this title… that seems to be the running theme this Christmas review batch doesn’t it… anyway here we go. Well, without further ado let’s get to it. Sky Sharks #2 & #3.

When I last looked into the title (at it’s start) I was all about how I wasn’t touching aerial shooter video games and I wasn’t so sure about reading a comic about an alternate reality where prop power still powers the backbone of aerial commerce (and war)… then I picked up CAPCOM Classics Collection Remixed, reviwed it (played 1941) and got over that.

We’re still on War Island, and it looks like some of the noisy minor characters are bothering Frank and his Sky Sharks… oh, and a backstory begins developing with this guy named Kassle and this mysterious conversation over the phone at the start of Issue #2. Meanwhile a former female member of the Sky Sharks pops into the title this issue, and she’s older… less hyperactively excitable over becoming rich… and mostly a total freak (right up the alley of the blonde weirdo who caused the trouble last issue by getting between the sheets with that Middle Eastern ruler’s daughter… yeah, you two were so made for each other…). Present female teammate decks this “Monica” (the slinky weirdass former team member slash title’s… well… nuff said about that) and it’s on (fight wise, if only briefly).

But since it’s boring to hang about on the “ground” (and watching the head of “War Island” (why look, he’s like a cross between a member of the WWE and the Village People!!) throw people overboard) it’s back to work (after a brief sidebar where this Kassle mentioned earlier is seemingly taken by armed and brutish men).

On assignment to swap paint (and ammo shots) with Russian air forces over the skies of fake Eastern Europe country Tsiurupyns’k… whatever. Important point is while trading fire with armored ground forces who should arrive but Monica in the next gen of air technology (a fighter jet), and she’s gunning for Sky Sharks (wouldn’t you know it).

As Issue #3 starts the little sub story from issue #2 begins to play out, the drama moving to War Island (because really, nobody can get enough of the large WWE/Village People commander dude)… yeah. This can’t be a good thing. In the meantime jet tech proves to be too much for the “present” tech of the Sky Sharks, and dammit they had to shoot Joselyn (the only female team member) into the no man’s land of a war zone… yeah, that can’t be good. Too bad a little miscalculation with the fuel breaks off further ammo swapping between the combatants.

In order to get Joselyn out of the battle zone, however, it looks like they’re going to send the blonde weirdo over to team up with Monica for a “rescue mission”… no, no, foreplay AFTER the mission.
Oh, and a guy dressed like the Rocketeer shows up, which is good because Joselyn is in serious need of an “extraction” from the not so nice hostile natives -- only to find out Monica is about as bad (if not worst) than the hostile natives (rocket boy isn’t going to like how this issue ends).

So even if somehow Joselyn gets saved from her situation, where will the events of this issue lead… what? Oh, yeah, the creepy lecherous blonde dude survives too… so what.

Anyway that’s next review, let’s wrap this up.

Hmm… you know what? Knock on wood (because I said this for Final Girl and was bitten with venomous fangs by the craptascular ending) but I think I’m going to start growing fond of this title. I don’t know, maybe I have a soft spot for Joselyn… wait, no that’s it. I just have a soft spot for Joselyn.

Otherwise it’s a nice whimsical swashbuckling good time of aerial dogfights, abit of the sexy sexy, and drama, betrayal/double cross, and layers of deception and bad guys with evil plots waiting in the wings. Fred Perry draws it nicely and Wes Hartman writes it well. Want something to wrap up the year with a bit of whimsy and sexy fun? This title (now completed it’s five issue run as of this month with Issue #5’s release) should be on your pick up list. It’s not perfect, but it’s a damn good read.

4 dead Rocketeer clones… oopsies… out of 5.
Sky Sharks 2007 © & ™ Wes Hartman

-- David Rasmussen 19th Jan 08