Writer – Otto Binder
Artist – Jack Sparling

Some of those who live within N’Yark are finding it hard to find and grow food, the skyscrapers that surround them preventing good, fertile ground. Thankfully there are people who live outside of the city who make the trip into the city to do a little trading but lately, it is not going so well as there is a new trader and he demands far more than the old one did. Samson and Mindor do not approve of the man taking advantage of those who are unable to prevent it and so they accompany the traders back to their home, hoping to work things out. That of course, is to no avail and so they decide to head back and as they do, Mindor gets the idea of clearing the ancient roadway of all that lies within it so that the N’Yarkers and the farmers might be able to trade freely without any middlemen. Otto Binder cuts back on the action just a little bit with this story so that Samson and company can do a bit of problem-solving for the locals of the area, something they have done before but it always makes for interesting reading as it gives readers a bigger picture of how it is in different parts of the city. With the problems and the solving of them comes both gigantic creatures to overcome, the local fauna and of course the worst enemy mankind has ever faced – themselves. This time it comes in the form of Hulko, the trader who wants much for little and he means to put a stop to Mindor, Samson and Sharmaine any way that he can. So it is that he sends a Gigantobull after them and for most, that would be the end of life on the planet but for Samson, it is another story entirely. When that fails, he decides to take matters into his own hands which of course, does not end well. Altogether this was a truly fun little outing for Samson and the rest of the cast as Binder always manages to make it lighthearted and exciting with little moments of humour interspersed throughout the pages. Jack Sparling who once again illustrates the book, is a man who brings the world of N’Yark to imaginative life, making it seem both absolutely wonderful in its strangeness and supremely dangerous in its unpredictability. It might not have an ongoing plot from issue to issue other than survival but it is enough to bring readers back for more every time.

3 out of 5