Originally published on Patreon
In a world where comics are mired in continuity, where everything is connected, and serious, and has to all make sense with each other it can be nice to have a book that ignores all of that and just decides to be absolutely silly. The Jurassic League is absolutely that kind of book as it takes the heroes and villains that you love and asks 'what if they were dinosaur people instead'? So, if you're looking for serious and realistic this is not the book for you. However, if you're looking for a bit of fun this is absolutely worth a shot.
The fourth issue of the series sees the last few members of the Jurassic League come together as the villains, under the command of Atrocitasaurus, start to lash out against the humans and their protectors. As the heroes fight off the evil dinosaurs they discover the secret that the bad guys have been hiding, a huge, monstrous egg. When the egg cracks open and pulls in the bodies of its fallen servants, eating them, it hints at something even more terrible to come; a prophecy that's fulfilled in the final moments of the issue when the egg hatches and gives birth to the gigantic Darkyloseid.
One of the best things about this book is the ridiculous dinosaur versions of the characters. Some of them feel kind of perfect in their execution, such as the velociraptor Flash, or the giant actual manta version of Black Manta, whilst some of the others do take some getting used to, such as Green Lantern being a Parasaurolophus for no obvious reason. Some of the characters look a bit weird, and some of the designs feel a little forced, but some of them work wonderfully and look amazing, like Atrocitasaurus. Though perhaps the best design of the bunch is the reveal of Darkseid at the end.
Yet despite all this ridiculousness there's still a lot about this book that feels a bit more grounded in the DC universe we know at times, as the characters are still who they've always been; just big and scaly. Superman is still a kind, caring defender, and he has some moments where he talks with his adoptive human parents in some really sweet scenes. Wonder Woman is still the stoic warrior, trained from birth to fight in order to ensure peace, and Batman begins as a gloomy loner who doesn't want anything but his mission to avenge his parents, but finds that he comes to care about the people he saves and even starts to love the orphan child he rescued (I really hope we get a human Robin amongst these dinosaurs).
The book isn't just a complete re-imagining, it isn't just making things anew, instead it's trying to make these weird and wonderful dinosaurs that characters we know; and is kind of succeeding at it.
The artwork on the series is also delightful, and works perfectly for the setting and the character designs, and results in some really stand out moments.
I was really unsure about this series when it was first announced, and thought that it would be ridiculous nonsense; and whilst it is absolutely that, its delightful ridiculous nonsense.
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