Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Writer(s): Grant Sputore, Ryan Engle
Artist: Jay Martin
Release Date: 15th January 2025

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On sale this week from Dark Horse Comics, Behemoth sees co-writers Grant Sputore (the director of “I Am Mother”) and Ryan Engle (the writer of Rampage and Beast, to name but a few) making the leap from the big screen to the printed page alongside artist Jay Martin for a spot of large-scale monster mayhem.

After a cracking opening sequence where an impossibly huge creature shreds a US shipping vessel like a bath toy, we make the leap to an unnamed city and meet food truck owner Sara, who finds herself balancing her struggling business with an Amazon-esque packing job to help make ends meet. Along the way we are also introduced to Freddy, a grumpy detective whose cat just died and who finds himself investigating some unusual nautical activity as fish seem to be piling up on the beach almost like they’re trying to get away from something. Cue the arrival of the titular Behemoth and all manner of citywide destruction and carnage as Sara and Freddy’s paths end up crossing in the most unexpected of ways.

The bulk of the issue delivers a high-quality (if perhaps a little derivative) monster movie vibe, and while the level of detail sometimes varies from page to page, Martin does a solid job with the visual side of the story. The action is suitably frantic and the Behemoth itself is suitably… big, and despite some of the facial expressions of the characters being a little difficult to read, the whole thing whips along at a brisk, enjoyable pace.

As first chapters go, this one sees Sputore and Engle setting out their stall well, laying the groundwork for the real story that only reveals itself in the final few pages. It’s here where this series is going to sink or swim as our survivors find themselves being forced to adapt to, and presumably escape from, their new status quo. As such, it’s difficult to give an overall opinion on a series that clearly hasn’t hit it’s full stride yet, but based on this attention-grabbing opening salvo, it’s safe to say that this series has the potential to be a massive hit if handled correctly.

Rating: 3.5/5.

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[PREVIEW ARTWORK – CLICK TO ENLARGE]

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
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