DV8: Gods and Monsters

When a posse of 21st-century Gen-Active teens (most of the original crew from the bestselling Wildstorm DV8 series) get blasted to another planet populated by competing Paleolithic tribes who see them as gods, all hell breaks loose. The novelty of the original DV8 batch of deviant super-heroes was their distinctly unheroic personalities. Wood respects the original gimmick and does one better, turning the team into more evil and psychotic characters. These super nihilists don't waste any time exploiting their respective factions in order to achieve sexual or other kinds of gratification. The intergalactic experiment is revisited in tortured flashbacks, wherein the various alliances and dalliances of these genetically engineered marauders are described by the reluctant and guilt-ridden Gem. The story suffers from the absence of a dynamic plot line and some static artwork lacking fluidity in addition to any whimsical or imaginative dashes. The vivid coloring by Carrie Strachan saves the day in the end, but even something as dramatic as genocide is rendered as a cut-and-dried affair, devoid of emotional depth. (Apr.)