Writer: John Layman

Artist: Andy Kuhn

Colors: Jason Lewis

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Price: $3.99

The Martians came, they saw, and conquered the earth with a mighty fist. Earth’s only hope lies in the hands of Ruby Johnson, the two-time gladiatorial champion.

The story isn’t bad, but it feels like I’ve read it and watched it before. What I mean is, that the story feels like the “Hunger Games” lite, except that Ruby doesn’t go around on a train in each movie. Ruby wins the gladiator games twice and it doesn’t sit well with Overseer Zar, as she’s giving the human people hope. I liked the narration by Layman throughout the issue and how far Supreme Sector Overseer Zar would go to kill Ruby. With that in mind, it would crush the hope and optimism of the humans. The dialog was fine, as it explains the motives of the rebellion and the revelation between the Killbot and Ruby. It was heartwarming having the Killbot, remember who it once was and interact with Ruby. It added that light, to the oppressive world she lives in. Also, there was a misdirection that happens at the beginning of the issue, and that caught me off guard. I had to read to the end, to get the whole picture.

The art by Andy Kuhn is great, and the captures the post-Martian takeover of earth. The first few opening pages depict an execution and it’s not a pretty sight at all. Panels flow seamlessly into another and easy to follow along. The characters look good, especially the Martians with their skeletal like faces and abnormally sized heads. The Martians look downright menacing and dangerous, as they order the humans around the work camps. The Killbot looks impressive and seeing taking on an alien centipede is awesome. Kuhn does an admirable job at handling the dark and light-hearted moments of the story. The color palette is superb in making the world have a rustic and dull look to it. Also, having the Martians have a distinct color pattern like green and yellow was a nice touch to them.

This issue of Mars Attacks Occupation #4 is good, but does have its flaws. It feels like I’ve read the story before and some of the twists, you can see coming with some guess work. The art is drawn well and colors look captures the tone of the world perfectly. With only one issue left, I’m curious how the story will unfold. Also, the $3.99 price tag is a bit much.

3.5 ak ak ak ak ak out of 5