Austin St. John’s Red-Empt1on # 1 (2022)
Created by Austin St. John
Writer: Chris Hays
Co-Writers: Cole Hays, Ken Salinas & McLain McGuire
Artist/Colorist: DJ Hall
Artist: David Sanchez (Page 32)
Letterer: McLain McGuire
Colorist: Marvin Tabacon (Page 32)
Rating: 
This week I’ll look at “Red-Empt1on # 1” from Charter Comics and St. John Enterprises, created by Austin St. John, the man who brought Jason Lee Scott, the red power ranger from “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” to life in the famed T.V. series from the 90s. I actually had the pleasure of meeting Mr. St John at my LCS (Legends Comics & Games Fresno. He was there for a signing a few days ago) I really got a huge kick out of meeting him but when I found out he created his own comic, I have to say….. it’s really enjoyable as the series kicks off with a group of Marines who have to deal with a war that’s causing havoc on them in Afghanistan circa 2022.
The Post-Apocalyptic angle is a wonderful touch and I really like the concept of a group of Marines being in the center of all this madness since it blends in both realism and fantasy to such great effect to where I can truly say that it does NOT feel like something from a Michael Bay movie because the creative team actually knows how to write such believable characters (It’s true) and not throwing in any horrific plot elements to see if it will stick or not and yes, every studio in Hollywood should refer to this issue when it comes to making a perfect war story. The whole story is presented in black and white but it has that late 80s feel to it that it stands out as one of those independent titles that will really catch your eye so kudos to ASJ and the creative team for going this route and the last page of this issue will definitely make you look forward to the second issue (**NO SPOILERS**)
Throughout his life, Austin St. John has worn many hats such as an actor, martial artist, and paramedic (He worked as a healthcare provider in the Middle East for several years) but now he can add comic book creator to that list with this series and its stunning debut that will no doubt be a fan-favorite once it hits every comic book shop worldwide and with that, he could very well be the Taylor Sheridan of comic books so the sky’s the limit for this series and I would LOVE to someday see this series as a Netflix or a Parmount+ series. Fans of independent comics will definitely get a kick out of Red-Empt1on.
Special thanks to Austin St. John for this issue and for being such a gentleman and a scholar.
Well, that’s it for me this week. Thanks for sticking around and I will see you all next time.
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