"IT AIN'T MARVEL AND IT AIN'T P.C."
This is a quote on the back cover of John Charles collected TechnoFreak stories.
Mike Carey's foreword describes this edition of Technofreak as John Charles' best work so far. As Carey suggests it is sci-fi noir with energy and balls to spare.
It is tricky to review John's book without spoilers, so lets stick to basics of what to expect if you purchase this book.
It is paperback (a hardback edition would be lovely I am sure), the paper stock is perfect for all the colourful pages throughout and none of the pages fell out. That is worth noting as even some of the biggest comic publishers in the world sometimes get these basic requirements wrong.
The book also includes some lovely variant covers. John's Sunday Lunch imprint edition here also includes some bonus pin-ups by artists such as Lyndon Webb, Andrew Sawyers and Ian D Peterson and others which are an absolute treat.
The adventures of Maurice the Techno-Cat: Catnip as told in just one page is also funny because Lew Stringer never disappoints.
In addition the back up material, the various sketches, not mention the merchandising ideas are well worth a look. Who would not enjoy a TechnoFreak mug for their morning coffee?
I am reluctant to spoil the main storyline because it is so incredibly entertaining and in places unexpected. Credit must go to the talents of Barry May, Tom Newell and Mike Walters amongst a handful of others here. This book reads as a real team effort despite having a very clear voice at the helm.
SHIFT NOTE: Art, Tom Newell, Colouring by John Charles.
Despite his own firm grip on his own characters John Charles has potentially created a playground for other creators to have fun. These are reasonably versatile characters within an utterly bonkers future universe for other writers and artists to utterly let rip with their imagination. Like Mike Mignola cared for his Hellboy as an infant, John Charles has a slightly mad cybernetic baby to care for now. TechnoFreak could grow into a equally big monster of a success.
My conclusion is simple, and is best summed us thusly. Please find me another comic on Earth with an exchange of words like this:
Dr Felix Scrutner: "Prepare to die you meddlesome moggie"
Maurice: "Me and Neville against an old disabled guy and a woman. At least we can't be accused of discrimination."
This and so many other excellent examples of laser beam dialogue like this are why I give TechnoFreak a 9 out of 10. It would be a solid ten but I want a hardback edition and more pages. Perhaps John Charles can arrange something like that?
For those TechnoFreak fans that fancy a copy of the book it is available from Darkstar Comics in Cove, Farnborough. Online at their ebay shop here:
(Jokes aside all those random letters and number below will actually will bring you much closer to Maurice and and Sherlok... Trust me on this) ...Is that Maurice I can hear in the corner? sqeek sqeek .... Oh GOD NO PLEASE> Not the Pliers !!!!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404469675202?itmmeta=01J07X0KZ4MPJWTN6AR9MJ4CZJ&hash=item5e2c4574c2:g:G4sAAOSwFo5k8fKa&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAAwH0dzecxaRmn67eZ7jvwlRfUGUdHd%2FiPnE4h%2Buzvmsdgi2R2TB2lDEgV6dvSvSs8Rx%2FNirNFXaE5QyO9FUtLhmDWbU77oi8xFR4HPTjbs6zDDPf%2BS74zZyCGuJxIBEsFJxGh2%2B56KkPr0pPsDuB0utAK54yOoFtr3rbPhScBsmINQG%2FJo8c97MHDMphRTGN4GDTg77BREjo9ExNp1VLFf%2F%2BKGM9w56kA42x4fEXyf05G1seLzTJ6YeF92G9CDidq4A%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9S_gv2BZA