Review by John Freeman
The Book: Rex is an alien descendant of the mighty Tyrannosaurus and a skilled bounty hunter. After one of his bounties, the mad alien scientist, Zardax, escapes, Rex is forced to crash his ship on Earth. Stranded in Catford, south east London, an accident causes Rex to merge with a young, teenage orphan called Korey…
The Review: Plucked from the ashes of the late, lamented Monster Fun – a title cut short by forces beyond its control – is one of its unsung gems: the energetic, utterly crazy “Rex Power” by RAMZEE and Claude TC.
Fortunately, we’re now offered opportunity to read what many may have missed – an enjoyable character led alien invasion/ bug hunt story aimed at kids, that makes no apology for living up to that brief. With a nod to superhero stories, too, Rex Power is fun, written with panache and heart, and beautifully drawn.
Plus, it’s very much a “funny book”, too, perfectly pitched for its target audience.
Written by Ramzee (Marvel’s Edge of Spider-Verse, The Cheat Book) and featuring the kinetic art of Claude TC (Immortal Ewan), the story centres on troubled teenager Korey and Rex, an alien descendant of the mighty Tyrannosaurus and skilled bounty hunter. After one of his bounties – the mad alien scientist, Zardax – escapes, Rex is forced to crash his ship on Earth.
Stranded in Catford, south east London, an accident causes Rex to merge with a troubled but brave teenage orphan, Korey – and they have to learn how to get along so they can stop an army of Zardax’s alien parasites from taking over the district, the city, and then the planet…
Rex Power offers a slightly more measured, although still madcap, pace to the also crazy My Dad Fights Demons by Bobby Joseph and Abbigayle Bircham, which has similar themes of family dysfunction intertwined with the adventure. The characters – Korey, Rex, Rin (aka “Spook Chaser”), Korey’ brainy brother, Wasif, Gigabot, and the villain Zardax, prove an entertaining cast as the story unfolds and London comes under increasing threat.
With affectionate brief nods to Ghostbusters and Doctor Who in the mix, the story takes both urban alien invasion and family friction, bashes the tropes on the head and takes them to a whole new level, never once forgetting this is a story aimed at kids, the most demanding readership of all.
(A readership probably less forgiving than me for not introducing characters by name early on – Wasif, for example, doesn’t get a name check until at least two thirds into the story. A flaw to this kind of breakneck storytelling, but one best avoided).
With its widescreen approach to storytelling, it’s a story offering all-out action and adventure best read in print rather than on screen, which is certainly no bad thing.
Manic in its pace, fun to boot, I very much enjoyed reading Rex Power – it’s just a shame there’s no opportunity, currently, for it to continue and pick up on threads left hanging.
John Freeman
Rex Power – Invasion of the Fear Bugs written by RAMZEE, art by Claude TC, lettered by , is on sale in all good bookshops from 12th March 2026 | Published by Rebellion | 144 Pages | ISBN: 978-1837865222 | Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link) | Buy it from an independent bookshop via Bookshop.org (Affiliate Link) | Buy it direct from the 2000AD webshop
RAMZEE is a London based writer who immigrated with his family from Somalia to the UK as asylum seekers. He says he read way too many comics and fantasy novels as a child, but luckily for us, turned that into a career. He’s written comics for Rebellion, StoryWorlds, Scholastic and Marvel. RAMZEE is currently writing and illustrating a book series for Hachette Children’s, as well as developing a TV series for the BBC’s Voices programme.
Claude TC is an illustrator and comics creator in the UK, usually producing comedy, sci fi, and copious amounts of gunge. Creations include the webcomic Immortal Ewan (and Friends), and Journey into Stupid.
Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou is a British-Algerian letterer who has also worked on comics like Quantum & Woody, Red Sonja, First Knife, and more. He’s also the editor of the Eisner-winning PanelxPanel magazine, and the voice behind Strip Panel Naked.
• Monster Fun titles at the Treasury of British Comics
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Collections, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Features, Reviews
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