After months of waiting the latest issue of Liam Sharp’s visually stunning whodunit is here with the Captain Stone is Missing #8 motion book from Madefire. And you’ve guessed it, Cap is still missing! But perhaps not for much longer!Publisher: Madefire
Writer: Christina McCormack and Liam Sharp
Artist: Liam Sharp
Sound: Wendell Yuponce
Price: 69p from Madefire

Captain Stone is Missing #8 has arrived and we’re getting a little bit closer to finding out what’s happened to Captain Stone. The Pet has captured Captain Stone’s very foul mouthed, unscrupulous media mogul brother Zach and she sets about interrogating him. For those not in the know The Pet is actually a vampire and, unfortunately for Zach, she’s every bit as nasty as he is. He soon starts spewing everything he knows and we learn that a now alcoholic Captain Stone was having some kind of breakdown regarding aliens from another world. We’re also introduced to a new God-like character called Deus Rexae. He is a 250 year-old ruler who’s (possibly) trying to break from his dimension into this one. The Captain and his team took Zach’s network TV to his Pilot Mountain Lair where there was an explosion. Could Captain Stone be buried under there?

This look of this book is simply stunning. There are layers upon layers of illustration styles. There are intricate ink drawn maps, textured backgrounds and awesome painted figures. Liam seems to be have the most fun with Zach and his animated facial changes. It really does use the Madefire toolkit to the full.

Christina McCormack also has a ball with the dialogue. Zach is very sweary but it really does suit his character. She makes him so unpleasant that you wouldn’t mind if The Pet actually ate him. He is the complete opposite of Captain Stone’s unselfish heroism – ruthlessly obsessed with both ratings and money. There is also a very clever, thoughtful sequence running around ‘Schrodinger’s Cat’ and this introduces yet more characters for the future.

Wendell Yuponce’s wonderful musical arrangements bring proceedings to life. He has crafted an African Rhythm that rumbles throughout like Zach’s irrational panicky heartbeat. There are also layers of textured synths and strings that lend the reader a movie-like experience.

“Captain Stone is Madefire’s (award-winning) flagship title and its undeniable quality shines through. The love that Liam Sharp has for his world screams at the reader from every page – from the biggest splashes to the smallest most intricate art clues. The slow lead time between episodes is currently a niggle but one that could grow into a bigger problem for readers in future.”