If you haven’t been keeping up with the excellent and weird Bigfoot: Sword of the Earthman, here is a quick primer. Bigfoot (yes, of “And the Hendersons” fame) is caught up in the beginnings of a revolution on Mars. This comic takes its cues from the pulpy sci-fi of Edgar Rice Burroughs and Robert E. Howard. I tend to think of this comic as Conan the Barbarian meets John Carter of Mars, with Bigfoot. B:SotE keeps a straight face through all the weirdness, but the scenarios play out exactly like the stories a kid makes up when playing with action figures.

I don’t think that it qualifies as a revelation that there is something satisfying about watching giants slug it out like in Pacific Rim, They Live, and the Power Rangers. The latest issue of B:SotE is almost entirely devoted to a devastating final slugfest between the titular Earthman and Korovan Muspin, the heavy. Muspin has been chasing Bigfoot through the Martian desert, desperately trying to kill him and stamp out the seeds of rebellion. Their fight slowly builds on itself until it reaches epic proportions. The result is awesome.

Andy Taylor’s art in this series has gotten more richly detailed and confident with every issue. Every single issue has been the best in the series, and the latest one is spectacular. Tamra Bonvillain has the coolest name in comics and provides the incredible colors that really make the action pop. Their collaboration brings this incredible fantasy setting to life.

If I have one complaint about this issue, it would be that it isn’t weird enough. Sure, it features Bigfoot fighting a Martian for the soul of a people. Yes, their epic fight includes a personal flying saucer and winds up on top of a colossal statue. Of course, Martian draft elephants play a role, but this is the first issue of the series that doesn’t span several locations or show the complex caste system in play. This is not a large nit to pick, and it certainly doesn’t keep this from being a terrific comic book.

The most important thing to remember is that this is a well-written and beautifully illustrated comic book about Bigfoot fighting on Mars. Obviously, it is worth your time. The fact that it revives and (slightly) modernizes the feel and setting of some of the oldest sci-fi pulp is an incredible bonus.

Four and a Half Martian Draft Elephants out of Five