Age of Reptiles (comics)

Tribal Warfare

This story follows the conflict between Blue Back, a Tyrannosaurus, and a pack of Deinonychus. Many of the animals depicted in the story ere not alive at the same time period or place, and their inclusion was added for familiarity and dramatic effect.

The Hunt

This story follows the life of a juvenile Allosaurus after its mother is killed by a pack of Ceratosaurus. The Hunt received an Eisner award for Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition in 1997.

The Journey

The Journey was published in 2009–10. It tells the sprawling migration of a herd of dinosaurs. The story begins with a sweeping depiction of the North American Cretaceous forest, where a massive herd of dinosaur such as Alamosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Triceratops, and Ornithomimus are preparing to migrate.

The Body

"The Body," an eight-page short story, was published in Dark Horse Presents #4 in Sept. 2011. It concerns what happens to a dinosaur's body after it dies. The story begins with a pack of three Acrocanthosaurus hunting down and killing a Tenontosaurus. The tenotosaurus carcass is scavenged and picked clean by other predators before finally being buried by the elements, waiting to be excavated millions of years later.

Baby Turtles

"Baby Turtles," an eight-page short story, was published in Dark Horse Presents #3 in Oct. 2014. The story begins with a large group of Archelon turtles hatching in a nesting ground and beginning a trek towards the sea. The hatching turtles attracts huge numbers of predators, such as Pterosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, sharks, and Xiphactinus fish. While many fall prey, the turtles' sheer numbers means that many survive to make their way out into the open ocean.

Ancient Egyptians

Ancient Egyptians is set in prehistoric Africa. It features a Spinosaurus as the protagonist, and the first installment came out on June 3, 2015. It was concluded in September 2015. The story begins with a depiction of a small river and oasis in the scorching North African heat of the Cretaceous period. A Spinosaurus with numerous scars along its facial features makes into way into the oasis’ forest, briefly encountering a pair of Deltadromeus which beat a hasty retreat in the face of the hulking predator. The Spinosaurus is not interested in them though; its destination is the local river. Plunging under water, with nothing but the sail on its back showing, the Spinosaurus makes its way through the swamp, passing turtles, crocodiles and pterosaurs as it does so. Briefly emerging from the water, Spinosaurus attacks and devours a small crocodile before continuing ever deeper into the swamp. Resting at the river's edge, the Spinosaurus is startled when a panicked Carcharodontosaurus plunged into the river, pursued by an enraged herd of Paralititans; the sauropods quickly trample the hapless carnivore to death, while two other Carcharodontosaurus beat a hasty retreat.

The sauropods move into the river and very nearly step on Spinosaurus, which erupts from the water and faces off with the herd. The herd leader tries to kick at Spinosaurus, only for the sail-backed dinosaur to slash the sauropod's foot with its claws, injuring it. The herbivores are disgruntled by their leader's injury, but they know Spinosaurus is not interested in them and withdraw from the river, leaving it alone.

After settling back in to rest for a while, Spinosaurus emerges from the water once more, heading towards a small clearing amongst the trees where it settles down with another Spinosaurus. That night, a pack of Rugops scavenge the carcass of the dead Carcharodontosaurus; after briefly poking its head up to investigate, Spinosaurus goes back to sleep.

The next morning, Spinosaurus awakes at dawn to find crocodiles have continued feasting on the dead Carcharodontosaurus; with a yawn, it slips into the river once more. Spinosaurus catches a ray for breakfast and continues on its way as a number of smaller aquatic animals— everything from small plesiosaurs to sharks and sawfish—go about their business in its shadow. Spinosaurus then catches a large fish, fighting off an attack by a crocodile in the process.

After another brief encounter with the Paralitian herd, Spinosaurus makes its way into another part of the swamp.

The second chapter starts with the Paralitian herd browsing on vegetation, unaware they are being stalked by a small pack of Carcharodontosaurus. The predators are eyeing the Paralitian babies playing on the edge of the herd. The predators move closer and closer and finally strike. Their hit and run attack is a massive success—they race in, snap up the young Paralitian, and flee— and there is nothing the sauropods can do about it.

Spinosaurus, meanwhile, pokes his head up out of the water in time to see the pack race on by— but he is soon distracted by the sight of another Spinosaurus. Offering her a fish he caught as a gift, the two Spinosaurs mate.

The Carcharodontosaurus pack, meanwhile, gorges itself on young Paralitian, chasing off pterosaurs who try and scavenge a meal. One of the young Paralitians is left alive to allow a baby Carcharodontosaurus to practice hunting skills; its first attack is unsuccessful, but ultimately it manages to score its first kill.

Spinosaurus returns with the female Spinosaurus only to find she already has offspring from a previous mate. In a scene typical of many male predatory animals, Spinosaurus wipes most of them out— although at least one escapes— in order to ensure that it is his offspring that are cared for and have a better chance to survive.

Chapter Three begins with one of the Carcharodontosaurus pack bringing the remains of a dead baby Paralitian back to the clearing, only to find the rest of the pack gone; it finds out why soon enough, as the sauropod herd rumbles out of the trees, surrounds the carnivore, and brutally stomps it to death.

Spinosaurus scavenges the meal to bring back to the female Spinosaurus, but she has not forgiven him for his rampage. Meanwhile, the Rugops pack approaches the herd of Paralitian as night falls; chased off by the herd leader, they swim across the river and stumble upon the Carcharodontosaurus pack feasting on crocodiles. The baby Carcharodontosaurus moves off away from the pack and the Rugops, seeing an easy kill, begin to stalk it. Soon enough they corner the baby Carcharodontosaurus; luckily for it, the adults come rushing to the rescue and chase off the Rugops pack. The Rugops head deeper into the forest, stumbling across an area where a lightning strike killed one of their number; linking up with another group of Rugops, they soon find a new place to sleep.

A large group of the ever-present small scavenging reptiles attack Spinosaurus at him and the female Spinosaurus's nest; Spinosaurus fights them off, impressing the female Spinosaurus and winning back her trust. The chapter ends with the Paralitian herd passing by Spinosaurus’ nest and the herd leader and Spinosaurus staring each other down.

Chapter Four begins with Spinosaurus cruising through the swamp, catching a ray in the process. However, as he emerges from the water he is confronted by the Paralitian herd....a confrontation which the Carcharodontosaurus pack watches eagerly. The Paralitian herd leader tries to stomp Spinosaurus, but he is able to outmaneuver it and raked its belly deeply with his claws. The wound causes the herd leader to collapse in agony, much to the shock and delight of the Carcharodontosaurus pack. Already licking their chops in anticipation, they waste no time in launching their own attack on the herd leader. As several Rugops and Deltadromeus also join the attack as Spinosaurus attempts to remove himself from the confrontation. The herd leader manages to stagger on, even with more than a dozen predators ripping into it, before collapsing and going down for the last time. The various predators and scavengers begin happily feasting on the corpse.

Spinosaurus returns to his nest, where it is revealed the female Spinosaurus has laid a clutch of eggs. Knowing that he would be a threat if he remains, after sharing one last goodbye look with the female Spinosaurus, he trudges off, back out of the oasis and once more into the desert. A brief scene reveals that the baby Spinosaurus which was fast enough to escape his rampage is still alive, and it watches him as he keeps moving away. The comic ends with Spinosaurus steadily moving away from the oasis and, quite literally, walking off into the sunset.

References

References

1. (8 June 2015). "Age of Reptiles: Ancient Egyptians #1". CBR.
2. "1997 Eisner Awards (for works published in 1996)". comic-con.org.