Age of Reptiles: The Journey

[Scar]

I thought I'd post this, since we've been discussing dinosaurs with such a refreshing frequency, as well as dinosaur characters, paleoart, the Disney film "Dinosaur", and Ricardo Delgado's work. I'm elated that Delgado has announced his return to "Age of Reptiles" with his latest series, "Age of Reptiles: The Journey".

Age of Reptiles: The Journey #1

Dawn breaks over a sprawling forest in Cretaceous North America -- a dawn far colder than its peaceful, forest-dwelling herbivores are used to. The seasons are changing, and it's time for the able-bodied to migrate south. But the trek is a dangerous one even when massive herds band together, for while there is safety in numbers, numbers also draw attention, and the carnivores are moving in! This journey may not last long when the first hunter arrives, a ferocious tyrannosaurus rex who has her sights set on a young triceratops!

* Ricardo Delgado -- a prolific development and storyboard artist who has worked on such hit films as Men in Black, The Incredibles, WALL-E, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and the Matrix series -- returns once again to his critically acclaimed, Eisner Award-winning comic series, Age of Reptiles!

"Ricardo Delgado once again takes us back to the Age of Reptiles! And I am thrilled to go there."
-John Landis, filmmaker (An American Werewolf in Paris, Michael Jackson's Thriller)
Publication Date: November 04, 2009
Format: FC, 32 pages
Price: $3.50
UPC: 7 61568 15820 5 00111


For me this represents an exquisite opportunity. This story, in all likelihood, is going to be how Delgado would have preferred Disney's "Dinosaur" to have turned out. He's been consistently vocal on how the Disney film was watered down and made palatable for a larger audience, losing itself and all which made it an awesome project in the process. Fingers crossed that we'll have that scene of Tylosaurs attacking the herd, similar to the scene Ricardo pitched to Disney but which never made it to film! Now that he has full artistic license, we can have a prehistoric epic that will truly shine! I'm a huge fan of Delgado's work, both inside and outside of his "Age of Reptiles" mythos. He has a superlative flair, as both artist and storyteller, for representing imposing creatures as distinct, and very dynamic characters. The "Age of Reptiles" series is a personal favorite, for obvious reasons; but "Hieroglyph is also a read which I would heartily recommend. At any rate, I hope those of you who have been delving into Sideshow's Dinosauria line will consider this book come November!

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Man..just when I thought I'd never pick up another comic book again...this is earth-shattering news to me..just..awesome !

I hesitate to even make one small critique...I mention it only because I have all his issues displayed in my collection...ok, here it goes..why no super detailed cover art this time around I wonder ?

 

[Scar]

I know you mean a splash cover of sorts, or something similar to his lithos or species displays as he did with "The Hunt", but you really can't ask for much more detail than we have right here that we have in the cover of this first issue.

I'm glad someone else is excited as I am about this news. Earth-shattering indeed says it. As a huge fan of these books since their releases, this announcement is a continuation the likes of which I had only dreamed. Particularly considering that the last time I had spoken with Ricardo he had no immediate plans on continuing the series. Thankfully time has weighed in our favor, and he has been good enough to grace AoR fans with another book that I have no doubts will be spectacular.

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Like that..or the Deinonychus pack taking down the Saltasaurus on the cover of Tribal War issue 1... remembert he detail in those..lots of little scales and such..he really influenced a lot paleo-artists.. Wonder if he will continue the tradition of naming all the dinosaurs ? I thought it was great he named an anima then had it taken down as prey in the first couple pages..lol made it more " real ".

This is like a major sports star retiring, then a few years later taking up the mantle again...at least for us AoR fans...maybe we will get 2 series this time around like before...of course this could be a longer run..the story itself seems a bit more grander than previous ones.

 

[Scar]

Like that..or the Deinonychus pack taking down the Saltasaurus on the cover of Tribal War issue 1... remembert he detail in those..lots of little scales and such..he really influenced a lot paleo-artists.. Wonder if he will continue the tradition of naming all the dinosaurs ? I thought it was great he named an anima then had it taken down as prey in the first couple pages..lol made it more " real ".

This is like a major sports star retiring, then a few years later taking up the mantle again...at least for us AoR fans...maybe we will get 2 series this time around like before...of course this could be a longer run..the story itself seems a bit more grander than previous ones.

That Deinonychus shot was from the actual issue, though. The covers for "The Hunt" were more or less profile shots showcasing some of the key dinosaurs. I imagine we'll certainly have a continuation of characterization, with a list of the cast of characters at the beginning. Personally, I would like to see a cameo of the lone survivor of "Tribal Warfare" - Long Jaw! He and his diminutive companion Zipotle could certainly return!

This new story does take on a much more sweeping, epic scale, in a four-part miniseries. For that reason alone I'm extremely excited. It has the potential to showcase a wide diversity of dinosaur fauna, but also many distinct, endearing, and memorable characters. Two series would be spectacular. Hell, I would like to see him return to AoR and churn out stories every so often without definitively capping the mythos. Ever manage to get your hands on any of his sketchbooks? They contain a good bit of paleoart. Simply outstanding.

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

The cover art was a scene from the issue I believe but not an actual shot from the interior of the book. I'd like to see some of the species he did with the lithograph series done in their own stories..like the Cryo family and Tylo pod...I thought how it was neat it tossed all those diff therapods into the last book of Tribal Warfare... that's one way to give us a predator fix eh ?

It's confirmed as being 4 issues then ?

I haven't found his or Stout's which is another set of sketchbooks I've been after.

 

[Scar]

The cover art was a scene from the issue I believe but not an actual shot from the interior of the book. I'd like to see some of the species he did with the lithograph series done in their own stories..like the Cryo family and Tylo pod...I thought how it was neat it tossed all those diff therapods into the last book of Tribal Warfare... that's one way to give us a predator fix eh ?

It's confirmed as being 4 issues then ?

I haven't found his or Stout's which is another set of sketchbooks I've been after.

More likely than not it was an unused panel from TW #1, because for all of the other issues the covers were splash pages from within the issues. I think the likelihood of seeing Tylosaurs in the next book, possibly attacking the herd as they attempt an estuary crossing, is a given considering how much Ricardo pushed for that scene in "Dinosaur". I like the idea of them dragging the herbivores beneath the waves similar to Nile crocodiles at the great Serengeti migrations. Would make for a very cool scene and has the potential for some really good artwork. One of my favorite scenes in any of the AoR books was when adult Santo swam amidst the carcasses of drowned dinosaurs to reach the rival Ceratosaurus. His aquatic environments are always fascinatingly well-rendered.

"The Journey" has indeed been confirmed as a four-part miniseries.

 

[Agent0028]

This sounds intriguing. I assume these are going to be in regular paper comic format? I usually buy my comics in trade paperback from Amazon, how does one go about getting these?

 

[Scar]

If you don't have a comic book store nearby, I recommend Things from Another World. They have good prices and a stellar turn around.

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

More likely than not it was an unused panel from TW #1, because for all of the other issues the covers were splash pages from within the issues. I think the likelihood of seeing Tylosaurs in the next book, possibly attacking the herd as they attempt an estuary crossing, is a given considering how much Ricardo pushed for that scene in "Dinosaur". I like the idea of them dragging the herbivores beneath the waves similar to Nile crocodiles at the great Serengeti migrations. Would make for a very cool scene and has the potential for some really good artwork. One of my favorite scenes in any of the AoR books was when adult Santo swam amidst the carcasses of drowned dinosaurs to reach the rival Ceratosaurus. His aquatic environments are always fascinatingly well-rendered.

"The Journey" has indeed been confirmed as a four-part miniseries.

Oh yeah ! the bonus footage in the dvd even had the dinos crossing snow capped peaks...once you throw every enviroment in there it really does become " epic "... I would have thought a story like htis would need somehting like 8 issues...lol but maybe this a testing of the waters to see if the interest is still there. Maybe I should bug Mike at PT and see if he has any future interviews with Delgado planned ?

That was really an interesting scene... what therapod is going to expect another therapod to come busting out of the water for them ? especially when there is all that carrion around...it was a good plan..def shows the Allo is heading for the top again.

You know I had a hard time figuring out the ending to The Hunt... he had just finished off the last Cerato that attacked him and his mother the nhe sees the larger female Ceratosaur with the hatchlings...is it his memory of the similar event that stops him ? Is it weakness or kindness ? It would seem t ome the best course would have been to finish of all of them...in this way the cycle continues and his children or even himself may end up dinner later...in this one instance I wasn't quite sure what Delgado was wanting us to see or know.

 

[Agent0028]

If you don't have a comic book store nearby, I recommend Things from Another World. They have good prices and a stellar turn around.

Thanks, that is probably what I will do. I haven't got a clue where a close comic store is. Only two I know of are a good 30-40 minutes away.

 

[Scar]

Oh yeah ! the bonus footage in the dvd even had the dinos crossing snow capped peaks...once you throw every enviroment in there it really does become " epic "... I would have thought a story like htis would need somehting like 8 issues...lol but maybe this a testing of the waters to see if the interest is still there. Maybe I should bug Mike at PT and see if he has any future interviews with Delgado planned ?

That was really an interesting scene... what therapod is going to expect another therapod to come busting out of the water for them ? especially when there is all that carrion around...it was a good plan..def shows the Allo is heading for the top again.

You know I had a hard time figuring out the ending to The Hunt... he had just finished off the last Cerato that attacked him and his mother the nhe sees the larger female Ceratosaur with the hatchlings...is it his memory of the similar event that stops him ? Is it weakness or kindness ? It would seem t ome the best course would have been to finish of all of them...in this way the cycle continues and his children or even himself may end up dinner later...in this one instance I wasn't quite sure what Delgado was wanting us to see or know.

I've been harassing Mike enough regarding the Sideshow pieces. Don't want to put any more on his plate than he already has.

The other Ceratosaur, Oscura, was never hinted as being larger. If anything, Big Nose would likely have been the larger and certainly more ferocious, being that he was the pack leader, and the parent who outright defended the nest site while Oscura remained behind still in a purely defensive position even after her mate was stricken down. Definitely what we see in Santo at the conclusion is not benevolence so much as a realization of what he had become. That being said, with all accounts having been settled, he left the mother and children intact. It struck me as similar to the opening scene in Kill Bill Vol.1 when the Bride attacked and killed Vernita Green in front of her child, telling the little girl that if she still sought revenge when she reached adulthood, that the Bride would be waiting. A fine conclusion that allowed for the reader to still sympathize with Santo, but to recognize his position at the top of the Jurassic food chain.

Thanks, that is probably what I will do. I haven't got a clue where a close comic store is. Only two I know of are a good 30-40 minutes away.

You're fortunate. My comic book store is an hour and fifteen minutes away. I have them ship my comics to me most of the time, but I often stop in to the store. It would be easier to order online, but I have consumer loyalty with them from when I lived in the area and popped in every Wednesday. But at any rate, TFAW is awesome. Heartily recommend them.

 

[Agent0028]

Ouch that is a bit of a drive. I never buy the paper comics because I'm a bibliophile, so I like getting the tpb format. It's good to have consumer loyalty though, if there was a local comic shop I would probably go there just to support them. Plus then I wouldn't be behind on everything by waiting for the tpb to be published. I just now got around to the whole secret invasion thing.

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I've been harassing Mike enough regarding the Sideshow pieces. Don't want to put any more on his plate than he already has.

The other Ceratosaur, Oscura, was never hinted as being larger. If anything, Big Nose would likely have been the larger and certainly more ferocious, being that he was the pack leader, and the parent who outright defended the nest site while Oscura remained behind still in a purely defensive position even after her mate was stricken down. Definitely what we see in Santo at the conclusion is not benevolence so much as a realization of what he had become. That being said, with all accounts having been settled, he left the mother and children intact. It struck me as similar to the opening scene in Kill Bill Vol.1 when the Bride attacked and killed Vernita Green in front of her child, telling the little girl that if she still sought revenge when she reached adulthood, that the Bride would be waiting. A fine conclusion that allowed for the reader to still sympathize with Santo, but to recognize his position at the top of the Jurassic food chain.

Poor ole' Mike...heh..don't tell him I said ole' ... he's always got his claws full. Ever read the Dinoverse books he illustrated ? Not really adult literature but I enjoyed them.

Oscura just looks more bulkier to me I guess..and the hatchlings don't help judge her size. I also tend to think back on the saying about a mother defending her young..she could have been a handful for him...of course I'm not sure Chula took down any Ceratosaurs herself..at least it doesn't show any. I guess that pretty much explains what is shown...I guess as the reader we see ourselves in the characters as well..I just couldn't figure why he didn't do the logical thing and rid his territory of all of them.

I just flipped to the end of the TPB real quick and noticed that there are several sketches of mosasaurs in the back..including one pursuing a swimming hadrosaur. I'll be buying the individual issues and TPB again..since it's the best way to get everything. The Hunt was 5 issues long, Tribal Warfare 4, TW was more of a contained story whereas The Hunt covered more ground..I can't figure how he will get a story as big as The Journey into 4 issues...should be interesting.

 

[Scar]

Poor ole' Mike...heh..don't tell him I said ole' ... he's always got his claws full. Ever read the Dinoverse books he illustrated ? Not really adult literature but I enjoyed them.

Oscura just looks more bulkier to me I guess..and the hatchlings don't help judge her size. I also tend to think back on the saying about a mother defending her young..she could have been a handful for him...of course I'm not sure Chula took down any Ceratosaurs herself..at least it doesn't show any. I guess that pretty much explains what is shown...I guess as the reader we see ourselves in the characters as well..I just couldn't figure why he didn't do the logical thing and rid his territory of all of them.

I just flipped to the end of the TPB real quick and noticed that there are several sketches of mosasaurs in the back..including one pursuing a swimming hadrosaur. I'll be buying the individual issues and TPB again..since it's the best way to get everything. The Hunt was 5 issues long, Tribal Warfare 4, TW was more of a contained story whereas The Hunt covered more ground..I can't figure how he will get a story as big as The Journey into 4 issues...should be interesting.

Of all the shots of Oscura, I don't really recall any that set her apart definitively aside from her color scheme when not camouflaged. But I digress, Santo's behavior was what most defined him as a character and not simply a predator. It, oddly enough, humanized him. One could argue whether or not it strengthened or weakened the story, but I like the idea of the cycle perpetuating itself again.

It's not just the number of issues as it is the number of pages in each as well. For a comic, 32 pages is quite hefty, with the usual having between 20-25 pages. I'm confident we'll get what we've been waiting for.

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

I htought we only saw her at the end and camoed at the time ? Maybe I'm missing something... :?

The eternal cycle could have been what Delgado was going for..the point as it were.

I noticed it said 32 and thought it was quite a bit..I couldn't recall exactly how many pages the previous issues had and I was loathe to take them out of the packages and check ( yes, I'm lazy..lol )

 

[Scar]

Oscura appears red with black and yellow markings along her flank.

It's a large Looks like the first issue of The Hunt was around 30. Seems like a fitting number of pages. I'll be excited for the book regardless of how long or short. The quality is all I care for, and considering it's AoR we're talking about, I have no doubt I'll be pleased.

 

[dansdinosaurs]

Alright, so it goes like this:

Tribal Warfare
The Hunt
The Journey

That's the order I should be reading them?

 

[Reefer Shark]

Sweet! I'll buy this in trade when it's eventually released.

I really loved the other two Age of Reptiles minis... hopefully this new one will up live up to those!

 

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

Alright, so it goes like this:

Tribal Warfare
The Hunt
The Journey

That's the order I should be reading them?

Yep, that's it...but the order doesn't really matter..all are stand alone stories.