Review of "Battle Beasts #1," IDW comics

 Review of

Battle Beasts #1, IDW comics

Five out of five stars

 The three main characters of this opening issue are talented warriors that have banded together after what is stated as earlier periods of relationship difficulties. It took them some time before they reached the point of mutual trust. Given that they are all capable warriors, there is the hint of barely resolved initial conflict.

 All three are sentient man-beasts with near-human bodies. One has the head and talons of an eagle and can fly; another has an extremely powerful body with the head and tusks of a walrus. One of the tusks is broken off. The third has the head and horns of a bighorn sheep.

 The story opens with them camped and eating a meal when they are suddenly attacked by a large number of assorted warrior creatures. Seemingly hopelessly outnumbered, the trio manages to fight them off until the attackers mysteriously depart. There is the mention of a search for what are called “dread weapons.”

 The story then takes a dramatic change of location to Earth, where a woman rushes into a research facility and claims to have translated the inscription on alien orbs. A team of scientists has been trying everything they could think of to crack them open but has failed. At first, they do not take the woman seriously, but when she utters the “magic words” they open.

 Yet, there are times when success is of dubious value, for the consequences are that powerful alien creatures arrive and start laying down a path of destruction. The two seemingly disparate threads are connected.

 While many hints at background and purpose are put down, none are explained in detail. Yet, it is clear to the reader that a solid foundation for an epic tale has been set, leading to a desire to read the subsequent issues.