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Age of Reptiles #1
Age of Reptiles: Tribal Warfare
Thundering herds of lizards roam Cretaceous America, and the earth trembles with their passage. Enormous yet graceful meat-eaters shred the still-living meat from the bones of placid plant-eating saurians. Tyrannosaurus rex, the most fearsome carnivore that ever lived, is king. But even T-rex isn't safe from the greedy eyes and the ravenous appetites of a band of bird-quick Deinonychus. A tale from an age before humans and language, Age of Tribal Warfare is a 128-page epic told entirely in pictures. Ricardo Delgado, production artist for "Star Deep Space Nine," has crafted the finest graphic novel about dinosaurs ever released.
117 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 27, 2022
Rating 4 out of 5 | Grade : A for effort; Once upon a time, when dinosaurs ruled the earth...
This ain't your parent's land before time! Ricardo Delgado brings back that sense of wonder & excitement everyone of us had, when we were children, playing with our dinosaur figurines. He manages to tickle that nostalgia bone, and makes you remember the time, when we were genuinely excited for the next Jurassic Park movie, instead of the swivel that we got recently. And, to a limited extent, he is able to make us empathize with the characters of this story. Given that, a. said characters are dinosaurs, and b. there is no dialogue in the story, that is an admirable feat.
Other than this whole thing being a silent affair, one of the first aspects which caught my eye, is how immersive the world of the Dinosaurs was. With lush forests, gargantuan flora, a virgin earth untouched by the ravages of civilization and pure Natural Selection in action. It's just breathtaking.
Plus, the story features a plethora of vistas, where you just sit back and enjoy the panoramic views which it affords you.
In some pages, you can see the painstaking work that the Illustrators have done, drawing each scale of the dinosaurs as a rich tapestry, as well as the organic elements, such as the distinct patterns & marking on the trees and ground, with the added erosion & damage afforded by the passage of time.
The brutality of the hunt, the survival through predation gives plenty of opportunities to showcase action scenes, which are kinetic & dynamic. The pack hunters of the velociraptors benefit the most from this treatment.
Another feature which impressed me, is how, despite not being cartoonish, the various species of Dinosaurs in conflict have been drawn in an emotive manner, so that, at any given time, we know what sort of emotional pain they're experiencing, without it taking away from the authenticity of the premise.
There is a also great utilization of the environment, as vast panoramic vistas are rendered, with the depth and ever changing forms of the irregular landscape. In addition to making good use of light, dark, shadows & contrast. In some panels I was thinking how it felt, almost as if, the trees were casting their shadows onto my face, even when it's all drawn fictional work.
When it comes to the story, the narration is more akin to something out of an Attenborough documentary, as we are made privy to the day in the life of these creatures. As they hunt for sustenance, come into conflict with competition and predators, as they form and live in families and communes, as their survival is ever in peril due to natural and unforeseen variables. As well as how, these creatures, despite acting in a primal manner, also seemed to show traits of family, belonging, camaraderie, bravery and vengeance, which somehow makes them more relatable.
It's a short affair with sort of an abrupt ending, but seeing as this is how part of a series of books, I'm looking forwards to reading the other entries. And would recommend it, with some reservations, both to adults and maybe a few brave children, as I found the experience to be educational and nostalgia inducing.
This ain't your parent's land before time! Ricardo Delgado brings back that sense of wonder & excitement everyone of us had, when we were children, playing with our dinosaur figurines. He manages to tickle that nostalgia bone, and makes you remember the time, when we were genuinely excited for the next Jurassic Park movie, instead of the swivel that we got recently. And, to a limited extent, he is able to make us empathize with the characters of this story. Given that, a. said characters are dinosaurs, and b. there is no dialogue in the story, that is an admirable feat.
Other than this whole thing being a silent affair, one of the first aspects which caught my eye, is how immersive the world of the Dinosaurs was. With lush forests, gargantuan flora, a virgin earth untouched by the ravages of civilization and pure Natural Selection in action. It's just breathtaking.
Plus, the story features a plethora of vistas, where you just sit back and enjoy the panoramic views which it affords you.
In some pages, you can see the painstaking work that the Illustrators have done, drawing each scale of the dinosaurs as a rich tapestry, as well as the organic elements, such as the distinct patterns & marking on the trees and ground, with the added erosion & damage afforded by the passage of time.
The brutality of the hunt, the survival through predation gives plenty of opportunities to showcase action scenes, which are kinetic & dynamic. The pack hunters of the velociraptors benefit the most from this treatment.
Another feature which impressed me, is how, despite not being cartoonish, the various species of Dinosaurs in conflict have been drawn in an emotive manner, so that, at any given time, we know what sort of emotional pain they're experiencing, without it taking away from the authenticity of the premise.
There is a also great utilization of the environment, as vast panoramic vistas are rendered, with the depth and ever changing forms of the irregular landscape. In addition to making good use of light, dark, shadows & contrast. In some panels I was thinking how it felt, almost as if, the trees were casting their shadows onto my face, even when it's all drawn fictional work.
When it comes to the story, the narration is more akin to something out of an Attenborough documentary, as we are made privy to the day in the life of these creatures. As they hunt for sustenance, come into conflict with competition and predators, as they form and live in families and communes, as their survival is ever in peril due to natural and unforeseen variables. As well as how, these creatures, despite acting in a primal manner, also seemed to show traits of family, belonging, camaraderie, bravery and vengeance, which somehow makes them more relatable.
It's a short affair with sort of an abrupt ending, but seeing as this is how part of a series of books, I'm looking forwards to reading the other entries. And would recommend it, with some reservations, both to adults and maybe a few brave children, as I found the experience to be educational and nostalgia inducing.
December 16, 2022
I love it. I say this without caveat or equivocation: Absolutely stunning; a work of art, emphasis on the "art"; a graphic novel without the novel. There is not a single word or sound effect, but it manages to tell a story through art alone, give character to completely inhuman reptiles (without giving the dinos cartoonish human expressions).
Recommended for: People excited by the following elevator pitch:
Imagine Jurassic Park, but instead of a horror story, it's an action film. Directed by John Woo.
But try to get the physical book instead of the digital copy; those two-page spreads are amazing.
Recommended for: People excited by the following elevator pitch:
Imagine Jurassic Park, but instead of a horror story, it's an action film. Directed by John Woo.
But try to get the physical book instead of the digital copy; those two-page spreads are amazing.
April 15, 2019
I liked Cretaceous more, but this was great too! I really love how no words are needed and story can be pretty good told. Dinosaurs and sharks always get 5 stars on my read list, no matter what. And this is no exception.
May 23, 2025
Not a comic book in traditional sense. More like just sequential art with no words. You know why? Coz Dinos are so cool they don’t talk.
October 11, 2023
The art work was not interesting enough to justify that... plot? story? Not really sure what I was suppose to get from that.
March 21, 2018
I think that I was mostly surprised by how much this book was NOT what I expected. I was expecting something closer to Steven Bissette's Tyrant, but Age of Reptiles is an animal of a completely different color. Literally.
Delgado's story is essentially a parable of a turfwar between two rival dinosaur clans. A band of deinonychi and a small group of tyrannosaurs clash over hunting grounds, which leads to attacks on the other's eggs, elaborate traps, and lots of posturing and rutting. As you might expect of a story with not only dinosaurs, but gang overtones, the violence is pronounced, although not terribly gratuitous. I found it interesting that each type of dinosaur that we were introduced to had a particular hue and pattern, which I interpret to be each gang's "colors."
It's an interesting tale. The dinosaurs are all drawn very life-like, as Delgado's art is just awesome - detailed, emotive, and generally clear, concise storytelling. Delgado also shows off many different species of reptile, including my childhood favorite, the triceratops (how many animals have built-in weaponry like that anymore?).
In the end, the turf war leaves only one survivor, and the reptiles find out that subtlety, smarts and stealth will find a way to survive when they are long gone.
Delgado's story is essentially a parable of a turfwar between two rival dinosaur clans. A band of deinonychi and a small group of tyrannosaurs clash over hunting grounds, which leads to attacks on the other's eggs, elaborate traps, and lots of posturing and rutting. As you might expect of a story with not only dinosaurs, but gang overtones, the violence is pronounced, although not terribly gratuitous. I found it interesting that each type of dinosaur that we were introduced to had a particular hue and pattern, which I interpret to be each gang's "colors."
It's an interesting tale. The dinosaurs are all drawn very life-like, as Delgado's art is just awesome - detailed, emotive, and generally clear, concise storytelling. Delgado also shows off many different species of reptile, including my childhood favorite, the triceratops (how many animals have built-in weaponry like that anymore?).
In the end, the turf war leaves only one survivor, and the reptiles find out that subtlety, smarts and stealth will find a way to survive when they are long gone.
November 10, 2025
A fierce, silent clash of scales and survival... and now I want to watch Primal again.
The third wordless (or mostly wordless) story I read today (along with The Longest Day of the Future and Robot Dreams). It definitely keeps you entertained, though I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the other two.
The art is very detailed, and while the creatures aren’t drawn in a cartoonish way, Ricardo Delgado still manages to make them expressive, which is very impressive. You really get a sense of emotion and intent from these dinosaurs without a single word or human character in sight. The story sticks the landing; the last panel is brutal and emphasizes the harsh and unforgiving nature of survival in the prehistoric world.
Overall, it’s good. Just not as enjoyable (to me) as the other two. I'm rounding up with this one and have it at 2.5/5.
The third wordless (or mostly wordless) story I read today (along with The Longest Day of the Future and Robot Dreams). It definitely keeps you entertained, though I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as the other two.
The art is very detailed, and while the creatures aren’t drawn in a cartoonish way, Ricardo Delgado still manages to make them expressive, which is very impressive. You really get a sense of emotion and intent from these dinosaurs without a single word or human character in sight. The story sticks the landing; the last panel is brutal and emphasizes the harsh and unforgiving nature of survival in the prehistoric world.
Overall, it’s good. Just not as enjoyable (to me) as the other two. I'm rounding up with this one and have it at 2.5/5.
August 3, 2023
Turns out dinosaurs aren't all that different from humans. When predators begin to butt heads over their prey, a territorial dispute breaks out into all out savagery. The first volume of Ricardo Delgado's wordless comic series details the conflict between the mighty Tyrannosaurus and a band of Deinonychus. There isn't much beyond a simple narrative beyond the dinosaur vs. dinosaur thing, but Delgado executes it on a high level. The design on the dinosaurs are gorgeous and the colors are spectacularly done. Without the colors, this comic would definitely not be nearly as appealing. There are other great dinosaur comics out there (like Mark Schultz's Xenozoic Tales and Steve Bissette's Tyrant) but Age of Reptiles can hold its own against them.
March 14, 2019
SPOILER ALERT
This is proof that words are not required to tell a good or great story.
All images, and the story is straightforward and easily understood. Like the Introductions say, it is like reviewing storyboards for an upcoming cinematic adventure.
Dinosaurs care for their young. Dinos can be vengeful, meticulous, and cunning. Dinosaurs are very facially, expressive. It's all in this tale.
This is proof that words are not required to tell a good or great story.
All images, and the story is straightforward and easily understood. Like the Introductions say, it is like reviewing storyboards for an upcoming cinematic adventure.
Dinosaurs care for their young. Dinos can be vengeful, meticulous, and cunning. Dinosaurs are very facially, expressive. It's all in this tale.
June 10, 2022
This was soooooo cool for me as a kid. Jurassic Park had only been out for about 3 years when this came out and I was at the age where I both loved dinosaurs and had the patience to read comics with no dialogue.
March 28, 2019
Disegni molto belli, storia senza parole dove si descrive la vita intensa e violenta di diversi dinosauri.
August 22, 2020
12 yr old son loved this! Drawn comic book style, no words
April 10, 2023
3.75 Stars.
June 13, 2025
To be able to tell a story without dialogue is difficult. To tell a story without dialogue, and your characters are Dinosaurs... Now that's hard to pull off. Delgado's Art style for this series is incredible, and depicts the Dinos as colorful, gorgeous creatures. Through his amazing drawings, you can feel love, hate, fear, and every other emotion pour out of the Dinosaur characters he has created.
September 11, 2016
Even in the distant wordless past of dinosaurs, violence only begets violence.
September 6, 2007
When I first read this, I was a little non-plussed; lots of dinosaurs, lots of blood. My kids (8, 5 and 3) were just stuck in it...they wouldn't put it down! So I decided I had better do a more thorough read-through. As I started to talk about the pictures with the kids, I got more and more out of the story. It is a masterful story without words, especially using realistic looking reptiles as leading characters. Although it remains a very violent and bloody story, by the time I got to the end, the kids and I had a good discussion about life, and dinosaurs, and families, and I appreciated it on a new level.
January 22, 2017
Raccoglie la prima miniserie che Delgado ambienta nelle epoche dominate dai dinosauri. Rispetto a storie che verranno dopo questa lotta tra una gruppo di T.rex e un branco di Deinonichus è caratterizzata da una voglia di mettere in vista più dinosauri possibile di diverse specie. Inoltre i colori non sono proprio al meglio, e infatti nell'omnibus che ristampa la storia sono stati rivisti.
Lettura muta, violenta ma interessante, da cui Leo trasse una delle sue mitiche vignette per la Panini. intervistatore: perché una storia muta sui dinosauri?
Trex e Deinonichus a fianco a lui, leccandosi i baffi: non si parla con la bocca piena...
Lettura muta, violenta ma interessante, da cui Leo trasse una delle sue mitiche vignette per la Panini. intervistatore: perché una storia muta sui dinosauri?
Trex e Deinonichus a fianco a lui, leccandosi i baffi: non si parla con la bocca piena...
June 28, 2016
Though the reptilian faces lack the expression of anthropomorphized characters, these dinosaurs manage to be both realistic and cartoony at the same time! This volume details a long strife between a pack of velociraptors and a family of T-rexes. (Spoilers: Neither side wins! The real winners are the other animals, since the predators are killing each other.) I was impressed by the number of symbiotic relationships shown - a bait fish, a cleaner bird - small animals not just living in fear of the big ones, but living in cooperation with them.
November 28, 2015
Richard Delgado's beautifully detailed 'silent' comic about the lives of ancient reptiles is an amazing work of paleofiction. It is gorgeous to look at and has an amazingly complex tale to tell without a single word of dialogue or narration. It puts itself up there with the greats of scaley comics, but perhaps surpasses many of them with its artistic merit. Sadly, without words, it is a rather quick read. Though that will leave you begging for the next volume.
August 5, 2008
The art in this second Age of Reptiles volume is still amazing, even if this one - also a 'silent' visual story - is harder to follow than the first one. Also... there's something a little hard to swallow as far as the basic premise of the plot goes, but if you're willing to totally overlook that, it's a good read; especially if you enjoyed the first book at all.
January 2, 2020
A fairly fun, quick read that used no speech. It was about groups of raptors and T-Rexes competing long ago. It was a pretty neat story, and did well with telling a story without words, but I didn't really get much out of it.
The coolest thing about it was the fact that it did effectively tell a somewhat complex story without a word of narration or dialogue.
The coolest thing about it was the fact that it did effectively tell a somewhat complex story without a word of narration or dialogue.
June 1, 2011
Man. Great story using no words. The pain and suffering of such a kill or be killed lifestyle... crazy! Too bad the raptors kept getting their butts kicked! This novel has love, pain, jealously, power struggles, happiness, curiosity, and irony. too good!
August 16, 2008
It's amazing how well the story is told with next to no characterization. Just another day for the dinosaurs. Though that last page (no fair skipping ahead!!) is a stunner...
May 16, 2011
A wordless graphic novel that tells the tale of a feud between a pack of Velociraptors and T-Rexs. The art and colouring are both exceptional.
February 27, 2012
Can I really say I read this?
March 31, 2013
Excellent.
April 9, 2013
Wish I still had these comics issues from publisher Dark Horse... so, I'll have to replace my copy!
Delgado's dinosaur fictions are amazing.
You must read this.
Highest recommendation.
Delgado's dinosaur fictions are amazing.
You must read this.
Highest recommendation.
December 29, 2014
Beautiful artwork and a meaningful story which was sometimes hard to follow due to the wordless narrative.
November 21, 2011
Incredible dinosaur artwork, reminiscent of William Stout. Great story, too.
June 1, 2015
Kind of great for a book about dinosaur gang wars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews