Everyone’s favourite hybrid secret agent has halted Japan’s plan to weaponise the sea but can he complete his mission and destroy the base once and for all in Brian Wood and Sergio Sandoval’s Mono: Pacific #5 and #6 motion book from Madefire?

Publisher: Madefire
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Sergio Sandoval
Colors: Diego Rodriguez
Price: 69p from Madefire

We can’t begin this review without first mentioning Sergio Sandoval and Diego Rodriguez’ fantastic cover on Mono: Pacific #5. It depicts Mono manning a double-barrelled anti aircraft gun. The image switches between the gun firing and then not. It’s such a simple trick but the difference between light and dark make the image zing. It might seem picky, but we can’t help feeling that it needed some of Wendell Yuponce’s gunfire SFX to really finish it off. Anyhow it’s still a refreshing update on the standard Madefire ‘moving’ cover!

Mono: Pacific #5 and #6 bring Mono’s Pacific adventure to its logical conclusion. Our hero has fought a Mutant Samurai gorilla, uncovered a Japanese plot to make sea creatures into weapons in their secret underground lair and is busy trying to stop them from continuing their dastardly deeds. The Japanese have been spooked by the failed American attack and they’re loading their special mutant-making mixture onto submarines. They aim to dump this into the sea and start a Pacific War using any undersea creatures as weapons.

Mono soon sets about destroying these subs and hopes that he can cause maximum damage to the lair before the Allies arrive to finish off the job. The only problem is that while he’s been busy destroying the subs, the Japanese soldiers have found out exactly where he is. They’re literally armed to the teeth (what with the mutant gorillas) but our hairy British friend most definitely is not…

There is so much action in these final two episodes that the SFX team have had to go into overdrive. There are diving propeller planes, rumbling ship engines, rattling machine guns, crashing waves, delicate cracklings flames and roaring mutant gorillas to deal with. They do it with aplomb and really do deserve extra praise for their hard work.

“Mono: Pacific’s fortnightly release schedule and ‘boys own adventure’ style combine to make this Madefire’s best release to date. It perfectly captures the excitement of Vintage sunday afternoon WW2 movies and the action doesn’t let up until the very last panel. We demand more! Liam and Co should adapt this format for their other titles. Imagine if we could follow Captain Stone’s adventures before he was missing? Are Liam and Co up to the challenge? We hope so.”