Comic Review: Glimmer Rats by Gordon Rennie
What a cover!
I remember reading this title as a teenager. This was back when I was discovering Platoon, Full Metal Jacket and Tour of Duty. I was learning a lot about the Vietnam War and how it affected everyone and things at that time. So this title seemed to fit into this era of life perfectly.
Title: Glimmer Rats
Author: Gordon Rennie
Artist: Mark Harrison
Commercial Fluff: Under the autocratic rule of a federal Europe, all prisoners are press-ganged into the military to fight an incredible war against an unbelievable enemy: unearthly monsters from another dimension known as the "Glimmer." As the reluctant troopers soon learn, the Glimmer is ruled by the "Geist" -- the malevolent spawn of hell that can rend, kill, and destroy humans in a thousand different ways. The only way to survive is to be meaner, fight dirtier, and kill faster than the Geist...
Page Count: 64 Pages
Review
It still hits me like it did back then. A dark, brooding horror of warfare mashed into a crazy, otherworldly sci-fi setting, which is brought to life by the artwork of Mark Harrison. For me, it is sad to think this is a one-and-done story. This story captured my imagination, like the Alien movies, Judge Dredd and, of course, Warhammer 40,000. Gordon Rennie really produced a mind-bending tale full of action, horror and otherworld terror. I feel it deserves more love in the setting.
Within the story, you are introduced to only a few main characters, I like that the cast list is pretty small and easier to follow. Each character is someone you don't want to care about, pure scum, if truth be told. They are murderers, rapists, traitors and terrorists, but you can't help but care for the odd character as the story progresses, you even start to feel sorry for their fate of becoming a disposable weapon. The plot is straightforward (strange writing considering everything that happens)- a terrorist/freedom fighter is arrested and shot into a dimensional rift to fight other-dimensional monsters to ensure the continued existence of the Human race. Once through the rift, we discover a broken and defeated team that is seeking redemption and someone to lead them to the safe zone. Whilst the newbie is learning the ropes, we find out a possible way to escape the rift, but can the exit be real? It feels and reads like an old sailor’s tale of a promised land, that no matter how many look, it is never found.
It is one of the best comics I've read. It struck me in a way that has never let go. Enjoyable, short and has left me inspired. I highly recommend it to anyone in the sci-fi hobby, if you can't find inspiration in it, you should unfollow me. In all seriousness, though, go give me a follow-up on YouTube - Adventures with Peps.
