When the show Doomsday Preppers first aired, I initially thought it was purely a novelty or worse case, a staged ploy like some reality shows are. My misconceptions and preconceived notions were forever altered once I actually sat down to watch one of the episodes. Immediately, I was both riveted and puzzled by these people. They’re not very different than I was, just that they live underground and thought to believe in certain truths. The most ubiquitous fact about the show is that everything they believe in is based on some fact.

Many American in the 1950s and beyond believed in this omnipresent threat of nuclear bombs and the world powers fighting to seize control of the arsenal. Soon most of the world either chose to forget or chose to believe in the safety of these weapons. But for those who readied themselves for the worst day ever, it was all too real. In Tales Of Science Fiction: Surviving Nuclear Attack #1, we meet one such family and the extremes they went to keep their home safe.

We meet Captain George Kutter and his family, in the middle of a nuclear bombing drill. The American government has chosen them to be legacy survivors. We cut to the present day, where a group of friends gets together for a hunting trip, somewhere in Pennsylvania wilderness. These friends thought this was a normal hunting trip. One of the guys triggers an alarm, becomes startled and falls over, which is when the group discovers a hidden bunker. By issue’s end, they are able to enter the shelter, but what they find is more like a catacomb of secrets, one where the answers may prove deadly.

Overall, a story shrouded in mystery, one where choices and their consequences may lead to fatal ends. The story by Joe Harris is dense, skilled, and well developed. The art by Cat Staggs and Janice Chiang is breathtaking. Altogether, a story that looks to leave the reader captivated and frightened. A job done very well.

Story: Joe Harris Art: Cat Staggs and Janice Chiang
Story: 9.6 Art: 10 Overall: 9.8 Recommendation: Buy