Indiana Jones Omnibus Vol. 1

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For my first review I have chosen to focus on the new Indiana Jones Omnibus from Dark Horse Comics. Now you might think this is a pretty inauspicious start for someone writing for the website entitled Superheroes-R-Us, but I have my reasons for choosing Indy as my springboard. Though Dr. Jones isn’t considered a card carrying member of the superhero community, I would argue that he is the greatest “superhero” of all.

For starters, the man swings from an item of questionable tensile strength, knowing that a drop could kill him, which definitely gives him an edge over a certain wall crawler. He is well versed in the martial sciences as well as the softer sciences, just like a certain dark knight we know and love. Lastly, he carries a pistol, just like the new Captain America. If anything, he is the greatest superhero ever.

That said, the collection that has been put forth by Dark Horse is not the homage that a hero of Indy’s caliber deserves. When I first heard the words Indiana, Jones, and Omnibus bandied about on the Internet, I envisioned a book that would put all Absolute editions to shame. Instead, we’ve been given something slightly larger than an Archie digest. Instead of an upscaling, we get a downsizing. That, to me, is not the treatment that this larger-than-life hero deserves.

If you’re able to ignore the shoddy treatment our favorite archaeological adventurer has received, format wise, this book will no doubt delight you. The omnibus collects three of Dark Horse’s limited series, which were all produced in the early to mid 90’s : Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis, Indiana Jones and The Arms of Gold, and Indiana Jones: Thunder in The Orient. The stories are quite solid, with the right mixture of action and historical fiction. The writers do a great job of capturing, not only the feel of that era, but also the unique mannerisms that are attributed to the titular character.

As for the artwork, I am happy to say that it was fairly unaffected by the art trends of the 90’s. No giant torsos or massive man hands to be seen here. My one complaint would be that in Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis, the art is rather inconsistent. The way Jones is drawn varies so much that he goes from looking like Harrison Ford on one page to looking like a young Don Knotts on the next. The other stories, though, are well drawn and very befitting of the time period. More Kirby and Ditko, than Liefeld or Lee. Which is a good thing. I, for one, enjoy the classic, pulpy style of art when it comes to this brand of stories.

The three stories evoke the feeling one gets when they hear The Raider’s March play at the beginning of each film. The stories are extensions of the Indy universe and thus further the mythos that goes with that. And isn’t that what it’s all about, folks? If you are a true fan of the movies or books, then the stories found in the omnibus will satisfy your need for more Dr. Jones.