Eltralla

"Your screams will power this ship for weeks!"

Writer: Mark Griffiths

Format: Comic Strip

Released: February 2023

Printed in: Gods & Monsters 1b

Featuring: Omega

Synopsis 

Trapped in his black-hole prison, Omega is surprised to find an unexpected arrival: the Eltralla, a phantom colony ship. For Omega, this is a way out the black hole and a means to escape. For us, it will be the beginning of the end of the universe...

Verdict

Eltralla was a strong comic strip adventure to conclude my reading of the first Gods & Monsters comic book from Cutaway Comics! I like that we had some continuity with the opener of The Heretic although I must say it was a little different from what I was expecting with the significance of the Eltralla! That's not a bad thing though in the slightest. I think it's fair to say that I'm much more interested in Omega as a character and villain than Sutekh and that's probably down to his status as a Time Lord in Gallifreyan history. We're post-The Three Doctors here as Omega is trapped in his universe of anti-matter and exploring the power of his will was very good. It feels almost strange to see him with a face resembling an ordinary man because we know he is far beyond that. He is so much more than a normal man. As he proclaims in the comic strip, he is a god! And of course he would have wings! That was a pretty fun moment but I liked it a lot. What kind of god would have limitations like that? Not a good one that's for sure. I thought Rosia was a strong character and something of a companion for the story, that was until Omega found the ultimate use for her. After saving him and asking for help with her sun in return, he was in a troubled state and needed her sustenance for survival. So that's exactly what he took. The artwork there was harrowingly good as she was essentially diminished and reduced to bones. I must admit that wasn't something I saw coming so it was something impactful that caught me off guard. I would have liked a little more elaboration or explanation on just how one body was enough to sustain Omega in his wretched state. The use of a dwarf star alloy suit to protect himself in the normal universe was good for Omega, but it would take some doing to reach it and keep the ship intact. The prospect of the Eltralla doing just that though and bringing Omega triumphantly back into N-Space is an exciting way to lead us into the next phase. It definitely works as a cliffhanger! I certainly want to purchase the next phase as far as Omega is concerned. He's such a strong character and seeing his world conjured up by his own will was intriguing stuff. Seeing how he saw himself and the Greek god theme was fun to play around with. I can certainly see why Omega would present himself that way with nobody else around to entertain. You had to pass the time somehow! Commander Ghavanak was a decent character as the one out to get Omega but I never felt like he was a threat to Omega. He is so far above so many other characters in the Whoniverse and it's so fun to explore him further in these comic strips because of the lack of limitations. I must say the imagery in the comic was excellent and I loved the colour, although I'm not sure the vibrancy met the feel of the story. Omega is a dark character so that being reflected more in the comics would be welcomed. I thought the epilogue was decent and I like the black and white colour and the feel that brings. It's only a couple of pages but it really does compliment the main story and provides just a bit more mystery to the cliffhanger and potentially linking up a number of gods and monsters. Exciting times! Overall, a decent comic strip for sure. 

Rating: 7/10