Project Riese Review

By Daniel Schwartz
Reviewer

I am always up for a good old-fashioned treasure hunt and action-adventure story. That is why when I saw Project Riese from Mad Cave Studios, I knew I had to read it.

THE PREMISE:

In 1952, adventurer Sam Safdie and his specialized team of explorers set out to discover a rumored Nazi train full of gold bars. The train is said to be kept in an impenetrable vault under the Owl Mountains in Germany. They find much more than they sought once they can get into the vault. With Alien-Nazi hybrids, abandoned stone cities, killer cybernetic dolphins, and units of Nazis on their tail, Sam’s team goes through the wringer, trying to get to the train of gold and escape before unleashing the horrors of the vault on the world.

THE WRITING:

Comics can be a difficult medium for telling an involved and in-depth story. With only six issues to cover everything, many writers abandon character development and just stick to the action. Zac Thompson does a great job walking that line. He fleshes out his characters and still tells a fast-paced, action-packed story.

Readers get a good feel for who the main character, Sam, is. He is a Canadian Jew who is looking to find the gold so he can return it to the Jewish people it was stolen from. The rest of his team is made up of a genius historian/archaeologist, a pilot, an angry misogynist, a mysterious scientist who knows more than he should, and a trained fighter/weapons specialist. Thompson takes this motley crew and throws them into the middle of a secret Nazi facility filled with danger and intrigue. With all of this, he crafts a fun action-action adventure treasure hunt.

THE ARTWORK:

I had not heard of Jeff McComsey before I read this comic, but I am now a fan. I like the style with dark lines around the characters’ faces and bodies. It is reminiscent of John Romita JR (with a less squared look). He was tasked with creating visuals for various monsters, characters, and settings. I have to say, they all looked great!

THE RATING:

I read the collection of all six issues in one sitting to see what happens next. It is a fun, action-packed adventure with surprising twists and tons of mystery. I give this 4.5 out of 5 Pastrami Nations.