An animation-inspired sci-fi one-shot comic, Commander Rao pulls no punches. And this 48-page issue is now available from Scout Comics!
A rogue commander is out to confront and kill a baron. The commander is declared a hero, but we wonder what motivated her. This is her story. What are the wages of war, what is the price of death and violence? What does a hero leave as a legacy?
Written, drawn, and coloured by Fell Hound (Do You Believe In An Afterlife?, etc), a queer Asian-Canadian cartoonist from Toronto, Commander Rao is intentionally intense in its fight scenes, with page after page of action-packed battles. And the story is ironclad packed with drama.
The intro gives us the scoop, the what’s what, in the form of a newspaper article looking back at the bravery of Rao, born Kasey Elizabeth Cormack. From there, it’s ‘all-out war!!’.
Also included in the comic is a backup short story, with script by Fell Hound, and art by Jeremy Simser (storyboard artist for WandaVision, Dr. Strange, She-Hulk, etc). A battle-weary Private Cormack’s return flight home is waylaid by a sudden attack!
Lettering throughout is by Lettersquids (Antares Finest, etc), a letterer and graphic designer who has worked for Scout, Image, IDW, and other publishers. Lettersquids stretches the envelope here, providing handwriting, computer screen lettering, and plenty of sound effects.
All in all, though, a really good sci-fi comic, well-drawn, powerfully coloured, and memorable. Hopefully, we’ll see more sequentials from Fell Hound in the future!
Bonus pages include early concepts and character designs
Scout Comics, Commander Rao (One-Shot), $4.99 for 37 pages of story content, Mature readers
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