Humans #3

This week I am going to talk about another Image book. I know I am sounding like a broken record with Image, but after the announcement made my Marvel this week, looks like Image may just become the major player in my pull list, more so then usual. This week I want to talk about Image’s, The Humans #3, “Long Road Back From Hell”, written by Keenan Marshall Keller with art by Tom Neely.

If you are not reading Humans, and are a fan of shows such as Son’s of Anarchy or just a fan of a mid seventies biker gang story, then you need to pick this up immediately. The book is set in the year following the end of the Vietnam War and focuses on a motorcycle club called The Humans. Though they are not humans but apes, man like apes. In fact I am pretty sure they are chimps… though several of the characters are clearly other types of apes, such as Orangutans etc, and in true Planet of the Apes style, they keep human slaves.

The book is a clearly adult book. Often there is nudity, foul language, sex acts, violence, and drugs… lots and lots of drugs. This issue deals with Johnny, a Human believed to have died during the Vietnam War who recently has come home. The issue focuses on Johnny’s past while in Vietnam, and as you would expect he has returned a broken man. He seems to calm himself down by field stripping and cleaning his rifle. As he wanders through the aftermath of his return party, he see’s visions of decapitated soldiers, snakes, and enemy soldiers, mixed in with his passed out comrades.

I loved how they showed how broken of a character Johnny is. The artwork is inspired and the writing is great. This book, for me, is about the 70’s feel. I am a huge fan of the music, attitudes and art of the 70’s and I feel it in every page of this book. This book is a constant 5/5.

I enjoyed this issue because I feel like it is the beginning of what is going to be a well written biker story. I feel like this story could have been read by my father when he was my age. It feels authentic and the last panel of this issue really helped. The last panel is Johnny on his bike going for a ride with his brother. Johnny’s smile is what makes this issue so golden for me.

One final note, I do plan on talking about the big Marvel Secret War announcement, but want to wait for more information first. This is on my radar though and will be discussed in depth. I am a Marvel kid always but this may break me.