Graveyard Shift: Omega Storm Review

A review of Graveyard Shift: Omega Storm Supplemental Book IV, story by Jon Malin, Pencils by Tommy Patterson, Inks by Smith & Jimmy Reyes, Colors by Cortez, George, Yackey, Eltaeb, and finally Letterer Eric Weathers. 

I made this with the intent of being spoiler-free, thanks for reading.

When first diving into Graveyard Shift Omega Storm, I didn't know what to expect. For months I heard Omega Storm was everything from a superhero story to some perverted violent horror show, and for the most part, it's all of that and more. Would I recommend this comic to everyone? I'd love to but this comic is for mature readers, it is not for the squeamish or easily offended. Many of the jokes feel like locker room talk among the guys and while there are not many scenes filled with gore it does have its moments. But Omega Storm deserves to be known for more than just its shocking and vulgar moments. You can feel Jon Malin and Tommy Patterson set out on a mission to entertain and what we got is a fun, violent, shocking, coarse comedy not afraid of offending delicate feelings.

The story opens with a quote from writer Jon Malin followed by a MATURE READERS. The text on this page was a bit of a strain to read but the black-on-black writing still gave an immediate effect of a darkly oppressive tone over the next few pages. (NOTE: I’ve heard Jon Malin say that this opening page will be changed in future printings to a more legible print.) I’ve seen people describe Omega Storm as grind house and I think the opening two-page spread announcing part I of IV, is a big reason for that comparison, it has a very raw, brutal, and unapologetic effect. From the pencil work to the coloring, it has a more gritty feel than most of what follows which is a more vibrant, and clean feel.

The opening to Part I Damaged Goods, immediately pulls you in while acting as a warning for anyone moving forward. Omega Storm has a story to tell and it doesn't have time to worry about oversensitive feelings. 

The setup of Omega Storm is told through several newsroom panels that at first glance feel like they might be a chore to read through. The writing on these news panel pages, describing the vile accounts of serial killer Georgy Porgy is accompanied by often hilarious little news blurbs that make for a disturbing yet fun easy-to-read setup. Much of this book I found follows this path, where certain story points become too grim there is usually a well-placed hilarious bit not too far off. Georgy Porgy remains an enigmatic deadly force that lurks within this world only to present himself in brief shocking moments. 

Omega Storm eventually opens up to introduce us to its 12 members and while a darker tone remains much of the story has a grander science-fiction feel. At its core, this is a superhero story following a group of superhumans tasked to help mount an offensive against a galactic-scale alien threat. Similar to the popular show/comic The Boys, these superhumans are exploited with money and made into super celebrities. This celebrity status of course comes with big egos and volatile feelings among each other. Omega Storm does run a close line of feeling too cliche at times with some of the characters, like Cronos the chill surfer dude, or the self-centered, spoiled princess, Salka they have a bit of a been there done that feel when it comes to some of their personalities. However, Malin elevates these characters by putting them into a world not afraid of offending its readers by giving them all more of a dangerous edge that helps set them apart. The dialogue flows and I often find myself feeling like I am listening in on guy talk at a job site or locker room, especially during the more humorous moments. The women are sexy, dangerous, and full of attitude. The men are muscle-bound, testosterone-filled ass kickers that run the gambit from stoic to raunchy perverted jokers. One standout member of Omega Storm Christian ‘Arc’ Thomas is a crude, self-obsessed, sex-driven joker who can alleviate the most dire of situations with an insensitive quip. Those who are not scared away will continue reading on to find a story that flirts with being a sweeping space epic with hordes of aliens to be felled, larger-than-life villains to be toppled, and a more personal horror-esque mystery being told behind it all. 

I did become a little confused mid-way through the story when Omega Storm is called to assist in going on the offensive against the alien threat to this world. From the moment they entered space, it felt like I had to slow things down because things were changing quickly. It was at this point I came back to wondering about the Georgy Porgy character. It felt like I wasn't able to get a good sense of how most of the members of Omega Storm were dealing with this sinister character out to kill them. Once we are outside the setup pages the character Georgy Porgy’s influence fades away to become what feels like background noise to all but one member of Omega Storm. I wouldn’t hang on to this subject long but to me, the threat Georgy Porgy poses feels like it should be addressed a little more among other members of Omega Storm. The art and dialogue however remained engaging and carried me through these thoughts. I have not read the previous installments of Graveyard Shift so perhaps reading them will provide more context to help me grasp things better. I also realize the purposeful intent of not showing too much of Georgy Porgy because all his moments are deliberate and meant to leave a lasting impression. There are a variety of other great boisterous villains but none leave quite the same feeling as Georgy Porgy. Some of the villains in this also remind me of characters in some of Mark Millar’s work as well as Kentaro Miura’s Berserk, but Malin along with Patterson manages to provide a fresh style of their take on brash disturbing villains. Malin's villains while exaggerated in superhuman fashion, all still have this dark, realness to them, each one capable of doing something violently unexpected.

 The great pencil work by Tommy Patterson remains throughout, and the detailed facial work on Omega Storms's Rick Rodgers is wonderfully done often conveying the deep turmoil this character faces. The art drags you down with Rodgers to his rock bottom as you witness his struggle to fight his inner demons preventing him from reaching his full potential. Due to Omega Storm having four different colorists, I would often find myself pausing to flip back and forth when I would notice a change in style. I found things to like in all of it but definitely preferred a couple of color styles over others and thankfully my preferred colors dominated most of Omega Storm. I counted 8 two-page spreads and numerous splash pages that were all filled with glorious art reminiscent of comics I've read from the mid-90s like Spawn, Darkness, and Witchblade. The paneling work was engaging and gave the comic a fast action-packed flow. The violence in Omega Storm is used heavily early on and then has a steady build-up to an action-packed ending. Fans of bloody fights with gory payoffs will find a lot to like on these pages. And of course, the infamous last 7 pages including the dedication, have to be seen to deliver that slap to the face for full effect. The last page is like a gut punch, you are reminded of that dark foreboding presence you had at the very start. The fun, funny, violent action-packed pages you've just read feel distant and you’re just left with disgust and one question ‘Who is Georgy Porgy?’

            For the Comicsgate fans, I did notice a nod towards Cyberfrog Rekt Planet and a reference to Shane Davis I believe by the character Hi-Fi, maybe it's a coincidence but if not I wonder how many other references there are to find?

After reading the entirety of this book I came back to the very first page to re-read the quote from Jon Malin and I am left with these thoughts: Omega Storm feels like a statement against censorship that spits at the ground of the would-be cancel pigs. It pushes boundaries in many areas that break all the rules that modern entertainment uses to constrain stories. But most importantly Omega Storm is a story being told with freedom of imagination and when it comes to imagination almost nothing is out of bounds. If it's not clear I enjoyed my time with Omega Storm and while it will not be for everyone I urge everyone to venture through the dirt and give Omega Storm a shot.

The continuing story Graveyard Shift vol V is currently in early sign-up here https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/graveyard-shift-vol-v/coming_soon