The Mercenary Sea #7 Review

Was the wait between issues worth it? Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

“JOHNNY ONE-NOTE”

The book BuzzFeed calls one of the top indie comics you should read returns with an all-new adventure. Jack Harper, captain of the Venture, tracks down clues about the legend of Koji Ra from an antiquities dealer in occupied China.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been collecting comics so long that delays rarely bother me. Sure it can be frustrating to think that for the next couple of months I’ll be forced to dive back into previous outings, but if the creative team is strong enough then there’s no doubt in my mind that the wait will be worth it. And in the case of The Mercenary Sea, that holds true with a book that keeps fun and a narrative focus in check.

Kel Symons pens the latest adventure featuring the motley crew of the Venture. And the story picks up where we’d imagine it should, as Captain Jack Harper smuggles stuff while attempting to search for a mysterious island. The legend of Koji Ra feels more real with each passing page, as the text slowly but surely crafts an environment built for action, suspense and that never outdated swagger. In short: there’s no room for doubt because this is one romp that needs to be on your pull-list.

I could go on and on about the written word, but for this comic it’s the illustrations handed in by Mathew Reynolds that make the whole yarn into something that should turn heads. Simple and elegant is one of the ways I choose to describe the panels before us, as the talent takes the primary cast into consideration while setting up stylized action that’s on par with most movies. If you don’t buy this for the pretty pictures then I don’t know what you’re doing with your life.

The Mercenary Sea #7 proves that this is a vibrant literary journey. The creative team dazzles with an entry that succeeds while sporting personality with distinction, as their audience no doubt roots for Jack Harper. Recommended.