Dinosaur Shaman: Nine Tales from the Xenozoic Age

This is the second volume of Schultz's ( Cadillacs and Dinosaurs ) beautifully illustrated tale of the Xenozoic era, set a century after an apocalyptic upheaval on earth. This catastrophe, inflicted by man's abuse of the earth and by a mysterious reaction from the planet itself, has transformed the earth into a biological anachronism. Dinosaurs roam vast uninhabited plains; humankind rebuilds its societies with a paradoxical mixture of primitive rural labor and relatively advanced technology; and the frontier beyond the City in the Sea is harsh and deadly. Enter mechanic/shaman Jack Tenrec, the perfect embodiment of the age's combination of science, mysticism and survivalism. Tenrec, with his fleet of 1950s Cadillacs, serves the City in the Sea (its huge skyscrapers rise right out of the ocean) as ecological prophet, engineering marvel and frontier guardian against further abuse of the planet. Illustrated in black and white, Shultz's tales combine tremendous draughtsmanship with exciting plots and a concern for ecology. The volume includes an introduction by noted comics artist Jack Jackson and a sketchbook by Schultz. (Dec.)