I’ve been listening to a lot of Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes lately, frequently playing the bands two albums in sequential order for hours on end through my headphones as I plug away at the Day Job and then as I walk home. I’ve described their music as akin to a pissed off Foo Fighters, but that doesn’t begin to do the chugging, fast paced groove laden songs any justice – the music has connected with me in a way that I can’t quite comprehend, and after listening to the two albums hundreds of times over the past couple of months, I’m showing no signs of fatigue. The music won’t be for everybody, and I’m well aware of that, but for me the two albums presently released represent just over an hour of the finest slice of anger and melody recorded. 

After only spending a few months with the music, I know that I’ll enjoy it for years to come.

I can just as easily say the exact same thing about Voracious.

There’s something about this series that has just clicked for me; the elevator pitch is usually enough to sell anybody on the story (time travelling chef hunts dinosaurs to serve in his diner), but after two miniseries that pitch doesn’t begin to do the story justice – and nor can I in a spoiler free review, because it’s hard for me to believe that this issue represents only the second time that Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr have finished a comic book miniseries. I don’t remember the last time that I read a story arc from either Marvel or DC that was told this well or illustrated as wonderfully as the first two chapters in the Voracious trilogy. Muhr’s layouts in the opening of this comic are wonderful; with a textless first page he tells a story that a thousand words would struggle to tell – I was genuinely in awe when reading the review copy, and were it not for a Diamond Distribution snafu with my LCS I’d have been sat staring at the comic already.

I’m always impressed when a page is laid out in an interestingly inventive way, and the first page of this comic is simple in it’s elegance – yet it’s all the stronger for it. But not only is Muhr on top form, but colourist Andrei Tabacaru brings the already great artwork into the level of sheer beauty that you don’t see as often as you’d like. I would recommend you buy this comic for the art alone, but Naso delivers another flawless issue. Honestly, at this point I’d be surprised if he didn’t.

This series has constantly impressed me over the course of it’s nine issues, and if memory serves, I don’t think I have ever rated a series as high as I have Voracious.  

Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr reminded me of why I loved comics with the first miniseries, and with Feeding Time they have reminded me of just how good sequential art can be. If this is what these men can do on their first and second story arc, then the industry can expect some bloody brilliant things from them in the future.

If I read a better series this year, then I’ll be shocked. Voracious: Feeding Time has set the bar pretty bloody high.

Story: Markisan Naso Art: Jason Muhr Colourist: Andrei Tabacaru
Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy

Graphic Policy was provided a FREE copy for review, but I will be purchasing this issue when my LCS gets it in, as well as the trade.