Many comic books were created after the release of the Jurassic Park films. In the early 2010s IDW created Redemption, The Devils in the Desert and Dangerous Games. When IDW revealed it would release new Jurassic Park comics, I got really exited! No Jurassic Park story had been produced since 2003, so these series could really resurrect the franchise. In blog I shall shortly say what I think of the three series.
Redemption[]
I've bought all 5 issues of Redemption. The first thing that disturbed me was the downright AWFUL drawing. I must admit, I really don't like comic books to begin with. However, comics can look nice. Just check Dinosaurs vs Aliens! The dinosaurs look awesome. Let me give you a comparison:
But the thing that really counts is the story. The tale has a nice premise. Lex and Tim are now young adults. Tim tries to build a new Jurassic Park in Texas to honour his grandfather. So far so good.
As a European I'm utterly sick that every film or story has to take place in the United States. The novels and films mainly take place in tropical Central America. But not this one... the entire story takes place in the desert of the American Bible Belt.
But ofcourse something HAS to go wrong, otherwise no story. This is a problem with all Jurassic Park stories. Since the dinosaurs are created by humans. The humans have all the time and opportunities to know when and where which dinosaur is. This problem you won't have with Primeval or Terra Nova. Therefore, if something goes wrong it has to be because human stupidity. In this series they have chosen this cause of troubles:
Peter Ludlow has been transformed from the patient businessman of The Lost World into an evil ungly devil seething with rage. Without Tim even noticing (only in a kids comic!) Ludlow has arranged that also (actually mainly) predators are created for the park. Then Ludlow sets loose raptors, Giganotosaurus, Mosasaurus and a Carnotaurus.
Then there is a lot of screaming, running, blood, death and almost a nuclear disaster.
Overall grade: The premise of the story has original. However, the plot is downright childish and over-the-top. The artwork is depressing to look at.
The Devils in the Desert[]
Devils in the Desert.
The Devils in the Desert was qua story and artwork a HUGE improvement over Redemption.
The story again takes place in the desert of the American Bible Belt, not in a tropical forest. Shame, but with decent artwork, I can handle that.
The Pteranodons, seen at the end of Jurassic Park III have chosen this desert for their nesting ground. They start to hunt animals and humans for food. Sherif Tobias has to hunt down the creatures.
InGen also walks into the plot and tries to capture the creatures first. They don't want blood on their hands.
At the end of the story an epic battle between a Pteranodon and a Polar Bear takes place. Guess who win. However, our hero Tobias... dies.
Overall grade: The artwork looks nice. The story is exciting and believable. However, I enjoyed the lost-Pteranodon story of Jurassic Park Adventures: Flyers even more. I whish IDW saved themselves the trouble and just made a comic adaptation of that novella. It would have been so much more Jurassic Park. Now it could as well have been a Primeval episode.
Dangerous Games[]
I have never bought Dangerous Games. After Redemption and Devil in the Desert I was fed up with it. However, because a lot of users becan to import junk into the Dangerous Games articles I had to read about the series and create the first form of the articles. Should I buy Dangerous Games?
Dangerous Games takes us back to jungles of Isla Nublar! Furthermore, the raptors and other dinosaurus have feathers. For me this is a huge improvement.
Most people don't like the story, and I can see why. Isla Nublar is sold to a infamous drug lord! When CIA agent Daniel Espinoza tries to infiltrate this organization, he is caught and dumbed into the jungle. He meets Dr. Francis White, former InGen scientist and now head of a raptor pack!
Together they roam the jungle and attack the drug lord thugs. I don't know precisely how the story ends, but I don't care anymore.
Overall grade: Let me give you the judgement of PopApostle:
- I don't want to read another comic written, drawn, or colored by those involved with this book. If you love Jurassic Park don't even open this book, let alone purchase the trade. IDW, you really need to think long and hard about what you want to do with this franchise. I am naturally inclined to want to see new JP tales, but if they're like this I'll favor extinction.
So, no I won't buy Dangerous Games.
Overall[]
I think IDW thought like this: "If we put Jurassic Park on the cover, we can draw any crap and people will buy it!"
Ofcourse, there are people who DID enjoy the story. However, I think Jurassic Park comics should contain quality work. If you want to make a comic with people eaten by dinosaurs, it far easier to make a believable story in a Primeval or Terra Nova setting.
I have made a list on the Jurassic Park fanon wiki containing stories of which I would like to see a comic adaptation. Please visit and add your ideas.