Alex and Joe are joined by Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr, writer and artist of Voracious, By The Horns,and By The Horns: Dark Earth to chat about unicorn buttholes, cats, emails, and the consistently brilliant work they’ve been putting out together.
Check out the By The Horns Kickstarter for an exclusive hardcover of the first volume of By The Horns: Dark Earth.
You can reach Alex and Joe can be found on Twitter respectively @karcossa and @FirstRonin4 if you feel the need to tell them they’re wrong individually, or by email at ItsThose2Geeks@gmail.com.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Voracious: Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives.
Markisan Naso, Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabucaru have a new comic coming out in 2021, By The Horns. Because of the fact that these three have created one of my all time favourite series, I’m going to revisit the three volumes over the next couple of months starting with the one that kicked it all off: Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives.
This is an older column from 2017, but seeing as how I stand by what I wrote then, I’m rerunning it.
This week I wanted to take a look at a series that I think epitomizes what this column is about: a great comic book series or story that too few people have read. Published by Action Lab, Voracious is written by Markisan Naso and drawn by Jason Muhr, with the co-creators being joined by colourist Andrei Tabucaru, and can usually grab your attention with the shortest of descriptions: “time travelling chef makes dinosaur sandwiches.”
It sounds awesome, right? Well, that’s because it is.
In an ideal world, that’s really all you would need to rush out and buy the two trade paper back collections (Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives and Feeding Time), but it can be tough to buy two trades wholly on those words – I get that. I really do. Look, it’s no secret that Voracious is one of my favourite series to come out in the last couple of years (you can find the reviews for most of the comics in the two miniseries under this search), and it’s one of the few that I’ll buy in floppy form after reading the review copies – and it’s the only one that I also buy the TPBs as well.
You see, I put my money where my mouth is because Voracious is a wonderful breath of fresh air in an industry that has been choking on relaunches and rehashes; the five issues that make up Feeding Time are some of the highest scored comics that I have reviewed for Graphic Policy. Voracious does have an awesome elevator pitch, but that’s not what draws me into the series (though it certainly helped).
After only nine comics (technically ten, but the first issue was a double sized comic) Markisan Naso has become one of Those writers who has earned my complete and utter trust; I will probably buy anything that he puts out from this point on. Aside from having an excellent music taste, Naso has an ability to give a unique voice to his characters that when combined with Jason Muhr’s artistic ability allows you to understand all you need to know about a character within a page or two at most. Yes, there are deeper layers to the people you’re watching navigate their lives on the page, and they’re expertly revealed as the series progresses in a way that you’re never really subjected to an-out-of-left-field moment that takes you out of the story because of a character’s actions because of how well developed they are; you won’t be shocked at the actions of the people in the comic because it all seems so in character for them once you understand their motivations.
As with any well written story featuring time travel you hope the visuals measure up to the intricacies of the story, and oh boy do they ever.
Jason Muhr is a brilliant visual story teller; there are so many brilliant double page spreads where his talents shine, and yet some of my favourite moments are the ones where Muhr focuses in on the emotions playing across the face of the character he is drawing; obviously I want to avoid significant spoilers so I’m not showing you as many pages from later issues, which is a disservice to both you and Muhr because as the series progressed he really found his groove.
If you’re tired of reading about superheroes fighting each other and you want a story to take you across the emotional spectrum without the use of glowing rings then you need look no further. While the comic is about a time traveling, dinosaur hunting chef, it’s also a powerful look into what makes us who we are and how. It’s a story about mistakes and loss, and most importantly coping with those things.
Voracious is the best comic you’ve never read, so change that. I haven’t heard a singe person I’ve made read the book complain in anyway. This story is what comics are all about; a masterpiece of visual story telling that couldn’t be told any other way even half as effectively as it is in comic form.
Now, excuse me while I go and read both trades again.
If you want more Voracious, then you can check out the episode of GP Radio where we talked all about the dinosaur sandwiches with both Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr.
Unless the comics industry ceases to exist this week, Underrated will return next week.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Voracious: Feeding Time.
Markisan Naso, Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabucaru have a new comic coming out in 2021, By The Horns. Because of the fact that these three have created one of my all time favourite series, I’m going to revisit the three volumes over the next couple of months. You can find the first column on Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives here, and the second on Feeding Time here.
Published by Action Lab, Voracious: Appetite for Destruction is written by Markisan Naso and drawn and lettered by Jason Muhr, with the co-creators being joined by colourist Andrei Tabucaru. The series can usually grab your attention with the shortest of descriptions: “time travelling chef makes dinosaur sandwiches.”
It sounds awesome, right? Well, that’s because it is. But there’s a lot more to the series, including dinosaur cops, giant monsters and a strangely relatable dilemma throughout the series.
The first trade introduced the concept of time travel and dinosaur hunting, the second volume introduced us to dinosaur cops and an entirely new world as we learn that our hero wasn’t time travelling but hopping dimensions. The third brings everything together as we add a giant flying monster into the mix as the story hurtles to a remarkable conclusion.
Again, it sounds like it shouldn’t work as a story progression, but the comic never feels as though it’s out of hand; Markisan Naso has an excellent grasp on pacing and weaving the tale through some genuinely heart warming and wrenching scenes that continuously serve to keep the more science fiction aspects of the story feeling as though they’re perfectly natural occurrences.
Whereas the last trade effectively established the time travelling dimension hopping chef Nate as the villain in the story, Naso never quite lets you dislike the character; his action were and remain entirely sympathetic, and his desire to do the right thing even as he acknowledges his mistakes echoes across the page. Of course, the right thing in this case is stopping a significantly enlarged dinosaur as it rampages through Nate’s hometown of Black Fossil, a small desert town with a single cop who just happens to hold a massive dislike for our hero. Familial ties are a massive part of the entire story, but especially volume three as the shit hits the fan in ever increasing ways you see certain characters’ bonds deepen as they try not to fall apart.
I’ve yet to mention the artwork; Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabucaru step up their game from the last volume, and there are some great silent panels as Naso literally lets the pictures tell a thousand words in conversation and character development. Although the high octane scenes are brilliant, it’s the subtle moments when the art shines brightest; the gradual fading of Gus’ memories, the pastel infused flashbacks and those previously mentioned silent conversations help elevate this volume into must read territory.
Voracious is one of the few series where I own both the floppy issues and the trades as, like I said in the last two columns:
“I put my money where my mouth is because Voracious is a wonderful breath of fresh air in an industry that has been choking on relaunches and rehashes; the five issues that make up Feeding Time are some of the highest scored comics that I have reviewed for Graphic Policy.“
If you’re tired of reading about superheroes fighting each other and you want a story to take you across the emotional spectrum without the use of glowing rings then you need look no further. While the comic is about a time traveling, dinosaur hunting chef, it’s also a powerful look into what makes us who we are and how. It’s a story about mistakes and loss, and most importantly coping with those things.
If you want more Voracious, then you can check out the episode of GP Radio where we talked all about the dinosaur sandwiches with both Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr. The new book, by the same team, will be launching February 28th.
Unless the comics industry ceases to exist this week, Underrated will return next week.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Voracious: Feeding Time.
Markisan Naso, Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabucaru have a new comic coming out in 2021, By The Horns. Because of the fact that these three have created one of my all time favourite series, I’m going to revisit the three volumes over the next couple of months. You can find the first column on Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives here.
Published by Action Lab, Voracious: Feeding Time is written by Markisan Naso and drawn and lettered by Jason Muhr, with the co-creators being joined by colourist Andrei Tabucaru. The first volume can usually grab your attention with the shortest of descriptions: “time travelling chef makes dinosaur sandwiches.”
It sounds awesome, right? Well, that’s because it is. But it’s also so much more than just that elevator pitch. The second volume is better than the first, but it also takes a left turn when the dinosaur cops Owen and Gus are introduced. You see while Nate may have been travelling back in time to hunt dinosaurs, our assumption was always that they’d be wiped out by an asteroid so no biggie, right? Only Nate hadn’t just been bouncing back in time, but rather into an alternate dimension/timeline where dinosaurs would evolve into intelligent beings.
As you can imagine, hunting the dinosaurs that would eventually evolve is having a disastrous effect on the future of that world as people disappear and are forgotten as their ancestors are turned into burgers and steaks.
It’s a stunning reversal in the story when you realize that Nate, the sympathetic lead of the first volume is also an accidentally diabolical villain in this volume. Or he would be if Naso wasn’t able to continue weaving a tale where you want Gus and Owen to stop the man responsible for Gus’ wife’s disappearance but you also want to make sure that Nate’s business doesn’t go under.
Voracious: Feeding Time has one of my favourite comics within it (issue three) – the entire volume is brilliant, but it certainly peaks around the third issue with the combination of art and writing reaching a height that Voracious hadn’t yet seen. This was the issue when I realized the creative team were destined to write some fantastic comics together. Voracious: Feeding Time is an absolute joy to explore as we witness the series transition from the first volume’s fun to a deep treatise about memory and the importance of cherishing those in your life.
Voracious is one of the few series where I own both the floppy issues and the trades as, like I said in the last column:
“I put my money where my mouth is because Voracious is a wonderful breath of fresh air in an industry that has been choking on relaunches and rehashes; the five issues that make up Feeding Time are some of the highest scored comics that I have reviewed for Graphic Policy.“
If you’re tired of reading about superheroes fighting each other and you want a story to take you across the emotional spectrum without the use of glowing rings then you need look no further. While the comic is about a time traveling, dinosaur hunting chef, it’s also a powerful look into what makes us who we are and how. It’s a story about mistakes and loss, and most importantly coping with those things.
If you want more Voracious, then you can check out the episode of GP Radio where we talked all about the dinosaur sandwiches with both Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr. The new book, by the same team, will be launching February 28th.
Unless the comics industry ceases to exist this week, Underrated will return next week.
This is a column that focuses on something or some things from the comic book sphere of influence that may not get the credit and recognition it deserves. Whether that’s a list of comic book movies, ongoing comics, or a set of stories featuring a certain character. The columns may take the form of a bullet pointed list, or a slightly longer thinkpiece – there’s really no formula for this other than whether the things being covered are Underrated in some way. This week: Voracious: Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives.
Markisan Naso, Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabucaru have a new comic coming out in 2021, By The Horns. Because of the fact that these three have created one of my all time favourite series, I’m going to revisit the three volumes over the next couple of months starting with the one that kicked it all off: Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives.
This is an older column from 2017, but seeing as how I stand by what I wrote then, I’m rerunning it.
This week I wanted to take a look at a series that I think epitomizes what this column is about: a great comic book series or story that too few people have read. Published by Action Lab, Voracious is written by Markisan Naso and drawn by Jason Muhr, with the co-creators being joined by colourist Andrei Tabucaru, and can usually grab your attention with the shortest of descriptions: “time travelling chef makes dinosaur sandwiches.”
It sounds awesome, right? Well, that’s because it is.
In an ideal world, that’s really all you would need to rush out and buy the two trade paper back collections (Diners, Dinosaurs & Dives and Feeding Time), but it can be tough to buy two trades wholly on those words – I get that. I really do. Look, it’s no secret that Voracious is one of my favourite series to come out in the last couple of years (you can find the reviews for most of the comics in the two miniseries under this search), and it’s one of the few that I’ll buy in floppy form after reading the review copies – and it’s the only one that I also buy the TPBs as well.
You see, I put my money where my mouth is because Voracious is a wonderful breath of fresh air in an industry that has been choking on relaunches and rehashes; the five issues that make up Feeding Time are some of the highest scored comics that I have reviewed for Graphic Policy. Voracious does have an awesome elevator pitch, but that’s not what draws me into the series (though it certainly helped).
After only nine comics (technically ten, but the first issue was a double sized comic) Markisan Naso has become one of Those writers who has earned my complete and utter trust; I will probably buy anything that he puts out from this point on. Aside from having an excellent music taste, Naso has an ability to give a unique voice to his characters that when combined with Jason Muhr’s artistic ability allows you to understand all you need to know about a character within a page or two at most. Yes, there are deeper layers to the people you’re watching navigate their lives on the page, and they’re expertly revealed as the series progresses in a way that you’re never really subjected to an-out-of-left-field moment that takes you out of the story because of a character’s actions because of how well developed they are; you won’t be shocked at the actions of the people in the comic because it all seems so in character for them once you understand their motivations.
As with any well written story featuring time travel you hope the visuals measure up to the intricacies of the story, and oh boy do they ever.
Jason Muhr is a brilliant visual story teller; there are so many brilliant double page spreads where his talents shine, and yet some of my favourite moments are the ones where Muhr focuses in on the emotions playing across the face of the character he is drawing; obviously I want to avoid significant spoilers so I’m not showing you as many pages from later issues, which is a disservice to both you and Muhr because as the series progressed he really found his groove.
If you’re tired of reading about superheroes fighting each other and you want a story to take you across the emotional spectrum without the use of glowing rings then you need look no further. While the comic is about a time traveling, dinosaur hunting chef, it’s also a powerful look into what makes us who we are and how. It’s a story about mistakes and loss, and most importantly coping with those things.
Voracious is the best comic you’ve never read, so change that. I haven’t heard a singe person I’ve made read the book complain in anyway. This story is what comics are all about; a masterpiece of visual story telling that couldn’t be told any other way even half as effectively as it is in comic form.
Now, excuse me while I go and read both trades again.
If you want more Voracious, then you can check out the episode of GP Radio where we talked all about the dinosaur sandwiches with both Markisan Naso and Jason Muhr.
Unless the comics industry ceases to exist this week, Underrated will return next week.
Writer(s): Markisan Naso Artist Name(s): Jason Muhr Cover Artist(s): Jason Muhr 152 pgs./ T+ / FC $14.99
Chef Nate Willner’s dinosaur hunts in an alternate dimension reignited his passion for cooking and turned his life around. But traveling through time and space for prehistoric meat has consequences he never imagined. He’s damaged the bloodlines of the Saurians – a race of evolved dinosaurs from another universe, fractured the trust of the people he cares for most, and unleashed a flesh-hungry monster on his hometown! With the help of Saurian Detective Gus Horncrasher, Nate and his friends must put aside their differences to save Blackfossil from being devoured, repair the damage to the timelines, and overcome the losses they’ve suffered in their lives.
VORACIOUS TPB VOL. 3: Appetite for Destruction collects issues #1-5 of the third book from the critically acclaimed series.
Voracious: Appetite For Destruction #5 delivers the finale of this three-volume series. Nate and his friends must pick up the pieces after experiencing a devastating loss. Can they move forward with their lives after everything they’ve been through?
Review Spoiler: I’m going to recommend you read the entire series. There are two trades and the four floppies of this miniseries. If you want to go in blind, just know that this series is perhaps one of the very best stories I’ve read in comic book form. There will be spoilers for the first two volumesand possibly every issue so far in this series.
Even with the above spoiler warning, I’m still hesitant to reveal too much. It’s very tough to talk about this comic without talking about previous events. If you’ve come this far then you don’t care about spoilers or read every issue. In which case, you probably don’t care about spoilers anyway.
But here we are.
The finale to one of my favorite stories in comic form. It’s a very bittersweet moment.
Voracious: Appetite For Destruction #5 surpasses any expectation I had for the series finale. This is a comic that takes everything from the previous fourteen issues (thirteen if you count the over-sized first issue as one) and pulls it together. It’s an end that rewards readers who have obsessed over every detail in each issue.
There are no sudden deus ex machina to resolve the dangling plot points; Naso left hints and clues throughout the previous comics so that nothing feels unexpected. But nor is it telegraphed. Voracious: Appetite For Destruction #5 holds a place in my personal top five of series finales. I’m being cagey here because right now it’s my number one, and while I can’t think of another issue to top V:AfD #5 right now, that’s also because I have just read this comic. It’s a wonderfully rewarding book.
After the events of the previous issue, the finale feels more like an epilogue. And I absolutely love that Markisan Naso gave himself time to wrap up the story in such a complete way. Yes, there are still options for spin-off series. With such a rich multiverse, there are almost limitless possibilities here for a multitude of different stories. I hope Naso, Jason Muhr and Andrei Tabucaru can tell them in the future. In the meantime, we’re still left with an utterly beautiful story about loss, redemption, and a cutting undertone about the selfishness of humanity that will resonate for decades to come.
The entire Voracious series is probably the highest scoring run I’ve ever reviewed. It is a nigh-on perfect three trade story (I don’t think there are any flaws I can pick with the entire story). This has been a fantastic journey, and Voracious has ensconced the creative team as one of the finest in the sequential art medium. Markisan Naso is one of the few writers, along with Jeff Lemire, Matt Kindt and Robert Venditti, whose work I will pick up without question.
Thank Andrei Tabucaru, for such wonderful coloring work. You brought life to the long-extinct, such that I could smell the roasting of dinosaur flesh from my desk.
Thank you, Jason Muhr. Your talents have blossomed over the years from the first issue. Even on Voracious #1, you captured the essence of these characters in a way that has stayed with me.
Thank you, Markisan Naso. This story has given me such ups and downs, an emotional roller coaster of a journey, but most of all it came at a time when my love of comics was faltering. Although not the sole reason I am still reading, Voracious certainly played its part.
I am sorry to see the story come to an end. Holy frig am I glad that I was able to read this book.
Story: Markisan Naso Art: Jason Muhr Colorist: Andrei Tabucaru Story: 10 Art: 10 Overall: 10 Recommendation: Buy
Action Lab provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review. I have every intention of buying this book (and the trade) anyway.
Writer: Markisan Naso Artist Name: Jason Muhr Cover A – Jason Muhr Cover B – Bernie Gonzalez 24 pgs./ T+ / FC $3.99
The final chapter of VORACIOUS. Nate and his friends must pick up the pieces after experiencing a devastating loss. Can they move forward with their lives after everything they’ve been through?
Featuring a “Lost in Love, Lost in Time” variant cover by Bernie Gonzalez (Midnight Mystery). Limited to 250 copies!
Maribel’s mysterious past is revealed in Voracious: Appetite For Destruction #4. Nate and his friends face the monstrous Owen in a final battle for Blackfossil and the fate of two worlds.
Review Spoiler: I’m going to recommend you read the entire series. There are two trades and the four floppies of this miniseries. If you want to go in blind, just know that this series is perhaps one of the very best stories I’ve read in comic book form. If you read further there will be spoilers for the first two volumes.
Even with the above spoiler warning, I’m still hesitant to reveal too much about this story. I know, if you’ve come this far, then either you don’t care about spoilers or you’ve read every issue. Then you probably don’t care about spoilers.
But here we are.
One issue away from the finale.
Voracious: Appetite For Destruction #4 would have made for an incredible cliffhanger at the end of a series. It’s the kind of comic that wraps everything up without giving closure. It hooks the reader for the next series that you inevitably wait longer than you wanted for. Instead, Markisan Naso delivers one of his hardest-hitting issues in the comic before the finale.
This comic has a one-two punch that will leave you feeling emotionally vulnerable. The other dozen or so jabs that will wear away at any pretense you have of being an emotionless fool. You’re not. And that’s okay. It is, frankly and honestly, one of the best single issues I’ve read in a long time. There are so many different layers to this issue. Was we learn about Maribel’s past, get a hint toward Nate’s future and see Gus Horncrusher closing in on rock bottom.
There’s an inevitability to this issue. They way Naso’s words play across the page you can’t help but wonder if the writer is both talking to you directly. You may not notice it until you’ve closed the comic for the first time. But when you do you’re going to wonder if certain parts of the narration are the writer bidding farewell to you and the series. It adds another layer to the already powerful words.
Voracious: Appetite For Destruction #4 finally reveals what has only been hinted at previously: Maribel’s story. The issue splits between the flashback retelling of her story and the events of the present. Two separate tales intertwining as they rush to their meeting point. The juxtaposition of the two stories – the frantic rush and heartbreak of the present as Nate tries to make it to a certain characters side as Gus’ memory of his wife fades further against the slower biographical telling of Maribel’s story, and the gradual finding of hope and love that she finds with Nate’s grandfather – turn into one of the surprise stars of this book as Naso demonstrates a flair for comic book storytelling seldom seen.
Jason Muhr‘s art, combined with Andrei Tabacaru‘s coloring, is perfectly suited for the style of story. If there is one thing I am as impressed by in this comic other than the writing, it’s the art. The beauty of this series is that neither the art nor the writing is consistently better than the other. Muhr has been on top form the entire series. Believe me, I’ve tried to nitpick, but there’s nothing for me to find. His talent is on full display here with some phenomenal double-page spreads. They give a very whimsical retelling of the past in a detailed yet condensed way. And then there’s the penultimate page… oh boy.
And through all of this, Tabacaru adds the warmth, emotion, and panic needed to the art through his vibrant coloring. The only exception to his vibrancy is the previously mentioned double-page spreads in which he uses a sepia-like color scheme to highlight the golden memories of the past.
As one of my favorite series prepares to come to a close, the creative hit us with one of the strongest issues in the series yet. It’ll be a bittersweet moment when I get the next issue, but this has been a fantastic journey and I cannot wait to see how it ends.
Story: Markisan Naso Art: Jason Muhr Colourist: Andrei Tabucaru Story: 10 Art 9.4 Overall: 9.6 Recommendation: Buy
Action Lab provided a FREE copy for review, but I have every intention of buying this book (and the trade) anyway.
