TERROR & FURY #1, by Zenescope on 1/1/25, finds S.H.A.D.E. resurrecting two heroes from yesteryear to combat a growing threat from a clan of vampires planning to take over the world.
Credits:
- Writer: Joe Brusha
- Artist: Jordi Tarragona
- Colorist: Walter Pereyra
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Igor Vitorino (cover A)
- Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
- Release Date: January 1, 2025
- Comic Rating: Mature (language, gore)
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 26
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of TERROR & FURY #1:
Plot Analysis:
Terror & Fury #1 begins with the titular characters, Terror and Fury, in the middle of a fight against a nest of mindless vampires. The issue is narrated by Terror, who doesn’t quite feel like himself, and he believes his disorientation is due to his recent death. Somehow, he came back to life. Somehow, he found himself in a helicopter with Fury to complete a destroy and capture mission against vampires. Somehow, he’s going along with all of it for now.
When the last vamp is destroyed, the super team’s handler, Vesper from S.H.A.D.E., congratulates the team on surviving but chastises them for not obeying orders by keeping the last vamp alive for questioning. Back at the S.H.A.D.E. base, Vesper sends Terror and Fury to their quarters while she reports their mission outcome to her superiors. During the tense debrief, we learn Terror and Fury are the resurrected heroes of the 1940s known as Black Terror and Miss Fury, and they’re assigned to Vesper in response to her recent failure in the Man Goat & Bunnyman debacle.
A short time later, Terror wrestles with his fractured memories, but control over his body is nearly at full strength. He and Fury answer Vesper’s call for a new mission to infiltrate another vampire nest and capture the leader for questioning because S.H.A.D.E. believes the vampires are planning something big.
Fury and Terror parachute near the location of the nest, an abandoned church. Our heroes spy on a master vampire directing his followers, but they’re surprised when a huge vamp sneaks up on them and tackles them to the ground. Terror and Fury launch into battle and take out the lesser vamps, but the Master appears to be resistant to usual vampire-fighting tactics.
The issue concludes with the Master recognizing his prey from long ago, a serum that spells trouble for humanity, and our heroes up against the ropes.
First Impressions:
I like this. Writer Joe Brusha invented a way to take public domain characters, rework them into semi-original characters, and put them together in a decent action comic. Aspiring creators itching to mine the public domain for material would do well to follow Brusha’s example. Plus, Brusha injects just enough mystery into the standard “stop the vampire apocalypse” plot to give the story a unique twist.
Artwork and Presentation:
Jordi Tarragona earns top marks on the art for two reasons. First, Terror & Fury #1 doesn’t shy away from the blood and gore, which is a requirement for a vampire comic that takes itself seriously. A vampire comic without copious amounts of blood, appropriately placed, is toothless (heh).
Second, the character redesigns for Terror and Fury look familiar but original. You can tell Fury and Terror are variants of Miss Fury and Black Terror, but the designs are different enough to stand on their own.
Art Samples:
Story Positives & Negatives:
The Positives:
For the most part, all the major parts of Terror & Fury #1 work. Joe Brusha sets up a fairly rote vampire apocalypse, but incorporates fresh reimaginings of public domain characters, coupled with the connective tissue of an organization from the Man Goat and Bunnyman series, to create something wholly unique. All the foundation pieces are in place, such as good pacing, decent dialog, and solid action, but the concept and its execution are where this issue shines.
The Negatives:
The gimmick of this issue lies in the update and inclusion of Public Domain characters into the Zenescope Universe. If you have no knowledge of the characters, the gimmick falls completely flat.
Further, Brusha drops readers right into the action without any setup or context, so new readers may feel put off by the jarring start.
The Bigger Picture:
Historical Context:
If you’re new to these characters, you may be wondering, “Huh? Whose that? What’s Public Domain? I’ve never heard of any of these people.” That’s fair.
When characters and stories live for so long, they eventually fall into the Public Domain, which means anyone can use them without fear of copyright infringement (legal caveats apply). Black Terror was a superhero created in 1941 who gave himself superpowers by drinking a special chemical.
Miss Fury also first appeared on the scene in 1941, but she has no powers to speak of beyond elite-level fighting and acrobatic skills.
Final Thoughts:
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TERROR & FURY #1 is a prime example of repurposing Public Domain characters into an original story. Writer Joe Brusha creates an imaginative concept that brings antiquated characters back to life to fight a vampire apocalypse, and Jordi Tarragona’s artwork, especially the reimagined character designs, is first-rate.
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