Greg Pak Talks Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Dec 12, 2013

Dynamite is proud to present an all-new adventure ongoing from superstar Greg Pak (Batman/Superman, World War Hulk) and incredible artist Mirko Colak (Red Skull: Incarnate, Conan)!

Shunned from his tribe, a young Native American named Turok fights to survive, making a lonely life for himself in the unforgiving forest. But his hard-won cunning and survival skills face the ultimate test when man-eating THUNDER LIZARDS attack his people! Why are dinosaurs here? How have they survived? And will Turok use his abilities to save a society that's taken everything away from him?

PREVIEWSworld talked with writer Greg Pak to discuss his upcoming reboot of this classic comic book character to find out where he plans to take the famous dinosaur hunter with this new series from Dynamite.

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PREVIEWSworld: How would you define the character of Turok? What drives him to be the hero he is?

Greg Pak: Turok is a young Native American outcast, exiled from his tribe and hunted by the privileged children of the elite. But what does not kill us makes us stronger, and Turok has learned to survive on his own through skill and guile. But can all of his hard-earned abilities save him when horrifying giant lizards invade the New World?

PREVIEWSworld: Turok has a long, storied history in comics and video games. What constants remain with the character from previous incarnations, and what changes can we expect to see?

Greg Pak: We're embracing the chance to reimagine the characters and build a new world from the ground up. But this is absolutely a story about a Native American fighting dinosaurs, which means it may just be the greatest comic book you read this winter.

We're also getting an amazing chance to world-build here. When you start with the premise of a Native American fighting dinosaurs, you suddenly have a lot of pressing questions to answer about what era it is, exactly where we are, and how dinosaurs happen to be around. We'll reveal the shocking answers to those questions as the story progresses. I'll just tease right now that some real world history will play into the story in a surprising way that opens up an entirely new realm for exploration.

PREVIEWSworld: What can you tell us about the threats and challenges that Turok will face in the new series?

Greg Pak: Even before the dinosaurs arrive, Turok faces a life-and-death struggle with his own tribe. And there's another human antagonist that will soon surface in his world. So he'll not only have to contend with the most deadly predators the world has ever seen, he'll have to grapple with the kinds of devious horror that only fellow humans can come up with.

PREVIEWSworld: Are there parallels between your TUROK story and the themes explored in your previous comic work?

Greg Pak: I've always loved writing about outsiders and monsters. Those are themes I've explored in everything from the Hulk to Magneto to my feature film, Robot Stories. And I've always been a huge sucker for outdoor heroic adventure. And I've always loved stories that deal with clashing cultures and allow for ambitious world-building. Turok scratches all those itches.

PREVIEWSworld: What's the most exciting thing about working on TUROK?

Greg Pak: I'm thrilled to be working with artist Mirko Colak again. Mirko drew the Red Skull: Incarnate book I wrote a few years back and did an incredible job. But I think he's going to absolutely explode with Turok. Mirko's pretty well known for his great, clean lines, but he's also amazing with visceral, outdoor environments. It's an amazing combination and it's just perfect for the book.

Pre-order Turok: Dinosaur Hunter #1 now at your local comic shop! Available on February 5th, 2014!