Issue 10 of Mars Attacks is the conclusion of the current story arc. This series has always been a tongue in cheek invasion plot with plenty of over the top site gags and gore. Oddly enough it’s what makes this book so charming.

Official description from IDW:

The second story arc comes to a close as little Tommy Bailey and the Nova Viras continue their contributions to the war effort to devastating effect! See science and robot mayhem play out on a global scale! Don’t miss any of the action in this runaway hit series from John Layman and John McCrea!

Writer John Layman has a way of writing characters with whom you can sympathize and he can do it with almost any type of character too. We can all feel for the human race as they are exterminated by martians in a zombie apocalypse theme, although, I think Mars Attacks was the first to get the tone just right. What Layman does so well is make a connection with the bad guys as well. Blyx was the face of any hope for peace between man and martian but he is duped into believing the evil of man and the need for their extinction. You can’t help but feel admiration for Blyx as he fights on and ultimately can only feel sadness for him knowing he was so close to changing the course of this war for the better for both man and martian.

John McCrea’s art is expressive and bold. The martians maintain their early sixties vibe which hooks me for the nostalgia but has enough of his own take on modern sci-fi to make an cohesive feeling universe. Mars Attacks has always had the shock of graphic violence and gore and McCrea handles those duties with great detail and style. Subtle he is not but subtlety is the last thing this book needs.

Mars Attacks is lively, colorful and wildly imaginative. Layman has a knack for stretching reality, even by science fiction standards, and we as readers are lucky he does. Layman and McCrea do this series justice and fans looking for something with a little edge and some fun with a touch of humor should definitely give this series a try.

4/5