The Gold Key Universe begins here as Dynamite brings back numerous classic characters suck as Turok, Magnus, Dr. Spektor, and Solar, with some amazing talent. First up is Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 courtesy of writer Greg Pak and artist Mirko Colak.

Shunned from his tribe, a young Native American named Turok fights to survive, making a lonely life for himself in the unforgiving forest. But his hard-won cunning and survival skills face the ultimate test when man-eating Thunder Lizards attack his people! Why are dinosaurs here? How have they survived? And will Turok use his abilities to save a society that’s taken everything away from him?

My experience with Turok is his 90s revival with Valiant, and a little exposure to the classic Gold Key comics (and of course the awesome video game), but going into this relaunch, I had no idea what to expect. With eyes wide open I wondered if we’d get some time travel story with a mix of technology or something a bit more grounded. And to my surprise, and happiness, it’s actually the latter of the two.

This first issue can best be described as understated, with a slow build to some action packed final pages. At first I felt like I was reading a western with its slow pace, but as the comic picked and hurtled towards the end, it was clear this was anything but.

The first issue is all set up, reintroducing us to the classic character and easily getting us to forget what came before. Pak’s writing is boosted by the art by Colak whose style has just enough grittiness to match the mood of the comic.

With Pak, you never know what you might get, other than an excellent read. I went into the comic not sure which version of Turok we’d see, but it’s clear from the start, this is Pak’s version for a whole new generation to enjoy courtesy of Dynamite.

Story: Greg Pak Art: Mirko Colak
Story: 8.25 Art: 8 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy

Dynamite Entertainment provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review