Verl Holt Bond is a genius. That's the gist of it, pure and simple. The writer/artist's Galactic Diary #3 is just further proof.
For Issue #3, readers get a new, Wolf McKinzie/"Post Holocaust Blues" chapter, which should please those who appreciate the likes of Mad Max and Conan the Cimmerian. (The artwork for this installment is exceptional, creating a Viking panache that also invokes early America. Though the segment includes effective dialogue, Bond's use of streamlined imagery carries the tale all on its own.)
The same earthy quality characterizes Bond's "Neanderthal Sunset" (in this case, the story having appeared first in Jim Main's Brain Freeze), with artwork that's as dark and deep as its brutal proceedings. (BTW: Bond's cover is a warmup to the story's events.) In the tale, a solar storm forces a trio of astronauts to crash on a primitive world, where its female member must adapt to the ferocity around her. (This one's Quest for Fire/Planet of the Apes/Teenage Caveman vibe isn't for the squeamish, but Bond's storytelling style, from both a visual and dialogue standpoint, also gives his untamed environment an ironic placidity.)
"Hollyweird" is a nifty yarn with a biting catch, as two beauties, Vicki and Dede, occupy an old mansion, where they settle in to watch a Dracula adaptation. (Bond's appreciative eye for the female form is a big plus in this one, raising the impassioned atmosphere a hundredfold.)
"The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants" is a blissful tale on the surface, but as with "Hollyweird," there's a twist in wait, in which a young man meets a young lady stranded on the road, but is her circumstance what it appears to be? (Bond's intricate setup invokes shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected.)
"Chance Meeting" is both a companion piece to "The Heart Wants ...," but also its antithesis, establishing a nostalgic recollection that invokes the romance comics of old. (Bond's knack for sentimentality shines through here, showing how a mere crossing of paths can lead to something touching and profound.)
"World Without Love" counters the latter, depicting a Bradbury/Huxley-like future where affection has become a crime in the People's Republic of North America. The necessity of emotion and unfiltered expression, whether of affection or revenge, is accentuated, with a warning that no one should take lightly. (Bond's artwork references that of Heavy Metal and Marvel Epic Magazine, capturing a Moebius feel that commands one's attention by being at one moment sexy and at the next, frightening.)
Galactic Diary #3 is a suburb anthology that offers a beautiful blend of quality material for every reader. It also performs a great service by showcasing the many facets of Bond's enormous talent.
If interested in a copy, email Mr. Bond at bondverl123@gmail. He'll get right back to you with precise instructions.
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