Cyberfrog : Dark Harvest Review
ZZZT!
Cyberfrog: Dark Harvest is the preview issue from All Caps Comics’ flagship series Cyberfrog, bridging the events between the first and second installments of the series. It also serves as a stopgap for fans awaiting the release of Red Extermination.
Ethan Van Sciver’s writing in Dark Harvest is the weakest entry in his reboot of Cyberfrog. The VYZPYZZ come off less like genuinely threatening apocalyptic aliens and more like edgy high school students. Their scenes dominate the opening and are meant to build tension, but they fall flat and end up bogging down both the plot and character development. The story is split into two parts, with the first suffering most from this issue. The second half is more focused, building effectively on the ending of Rekt Planet. Here, the narrative regains momentum, culminating in a classic comic book cliffhanger.
Van Sciver also illustrates the issue, and his artwork remains beautifully detailed. While some of the human side characters lack expression and depth, his strongest work shines through in the backgrounds, the alien designs of the VYZPYZZ, and the Pyrdanians—Cyberfrog, Salamandroid, and their mother Kjell Sinn. Ritter’s colors complement the linework well, balancing brightness and contrast to bring life to the otherwise dreary tone of the story. Letterer Eric Weathers once again proves his skill, maintaining each character’s unique style and placing dialogue bubbles perfectly—even across densely written pages.
Dark Harvest is a serviceable preview comic for the mainline Cyberfrog series. However, the characterization of the VYZPYZZ clashes with the tone of the setting, and the book leans too heavily on clunky dialogue. The art team that Van Sciver assembles ultimately rescues the comic from being unreadable, but it’s not strong enough for a general recommendation. This one is strictly for existing Cyberfrog fans.