IDW’s Devil’s In the Desert is the second Jurassic Park Comic Book series produced after IDW was granted the license. The series had art and the story done by John Byrne and it is mostly regarded as the best of the new series of comics produced by IDW as well. It involved the plot picking up with the escaped Pteranodons of the 2001 Isla Sorna Incident and progressed in how this small town was able to repel them and survive their encounter.
Jurassic Park Devils in the Desert #1
The story, taking place sometime after Jurassic Park 3, starts with Tyler Franklin, a young farm boy, riding into town to the sheriff’s office to report that he and his father had found nearly fifteen cattle torn to shreds. Sheriff Tobias, and Deputy Jackson follow the boy back out to the location of the attack/mutilation where Tyler’s dad is supposed to be waiting. To their surprise Tyler’s father is nowhere to be found, and his horse has been torn to shreds along with the cattle. Later on an odd track way is found near the mutilation scene. The next day several ranchers are seen keeping watch over their herds, especially after what had happened to Eddie’s cattle. Their herd spooks and they go to investigate only to find a “dinosaur,” which remains unseen. Eddie Franklin’s body is found the same day and the FBI has been called in; two special agents by the name of Harding and Kowalski. The two agents join forces with the local sheriff and deputy to try and find out what happened. The cast of the print is sent to a state university, and the officials continue scouting the area. During a search of the area Kowalski, in a helicopter, dies when the aircraft is attacked suddenly. Harding hears it all over the radio but the attack is not seen. Tobias and Harding head back to the airfield where paleontologists Dr. Jorge Ramirez and Dr. Monica Alvarez await them with news that the cast that was sent to them belong to an animal that should be extinct. Then, back in the desert, the last thing that happens in issue one is that a group of hikers are attacked by a family of Pteranodons.
Characters: Sheriff Tobias, Deputy Jackson, Agent Harding, Agent Kowalski, the Hikers, Sara Franklin, Eddie Franklin, Tyler Franklin, Dr. Monica Alvarez, Dr. Jorge Ramirez, Liz, the Ranchers
Jurassic Park Devils in the Desert #2
Story: Issue two cuts to a hospital, where an injured woman has been brought to who had been found by a trucker. She’s quickly treated and connected to monitors, IV’s and the like. They say she has major lacerations, and lots of blood loss: the signs of an animal attack. Meanwhile at the Franklin residence, Sara Franklin has found Tyler’s room empty and a note saying he’s gone off to look for his father. But to the desert where Sheriff Will Tobias is out with Agent Harding and the two new paleo-doctors Dr. Jorge Ramirez and his young daughter Dr. Monica Alvarez. Sheriff cannot understand how the doctors seem to believe that “dinosaurs” are alive and in the area and are what have been causing the mutilations and killings. Ramirez corrects Tobias, saying that they believe that it’s Pteranodons, which are not dinosaurs but instead flying reptiles. The first mention of Jurassic Park and InGen happens here in a reference to the San Diego incident. Monica explains that InGen had since abandoned the islands, yet the creatures still live there untouched. She then reveals that winds currents that occur during the spring from the region of Costa Rica all the way to California could have been a way of travel for the family of pteros that are presumably in the area. Tyler is reported missing and the group now have to look for him as well as look for the Pteranodons. While out looking Tyler is attacked by the pteros and falls into a hole and goes unconscious. The group finds the pteranodons circling an area and heads towards them. Harding unloads bullets on the prehistoric reptiles while Will and Monica try to save Tyler. Just then the wounded Pteranodon attacks Harding, biting down hard into his right leg. Harding shoots and kills the creature. They get the pterosaur off the agent, and then make a tunic out of Tobias’ coat. As Will takes care of Harding Monica investigates the slope from which the attacking pterosaur had come from, climbing up it. Once she gets to the top she exclaims “I don’t think the party is over yet!” Up at the top of the hill laid shattered, broken eggs. A Pteranodon nest and the infants were nowhere to be found.
Characters: Liz, Sheriff Tobias, Deputy Jackson, Sara Franklin, Tyler Franklin, Agent Harding, Dr. Jorge Ramirez, Dr. Monica Alvarez, Hiker Woman, Trucker
Jurassic Park Devils in the Desert #3
Issue three picks up at InGen headquarters where a Dr. Pettigrew is telling InGen reps that his fellow coworker, Dr. Ramirez, was heading to Southern California to check out the pteranodon problem. The doctor wants some money from InGen, for having traded this information, and threatens to blackmail. InGen threatens to sue if the information gets out, and kicks the doctor out of the building, and then the reps start discussing what to do. Dr. Pettigrew, though, makes a cryptic phone call to someone named Louis. Back at Southern Cali, agent Harding is in the hospital recovering from the ptero attack he suffered in the last issue. Tobias and Dr. Monica Alvarez head back to the station once they heard about InGen showing up in their small town. They are met with a Mr. Cobb and a Dr. Kanada. They explain that they accept no responsibility as of yet, and want to see if it was there animals that did this. They explain that it could possibly be a mutation, or something else. Will, Monica, and the two InGen scientists head out to where they were keeping one of the dead pteros and Sara is left alone with Liz at the station. Liz asks if Sara is ever going to tell Tyler that he’s actually Will’s son (since Sara and Will apparently have a history together.) The dead pterosaurs are kept at a meat packing plant. The four people all go inside and check out. The two InGen scientists agree that they are the pteranodons. Meanwhile, Deputy Jackson calls in saying that he and his sons have spotted the other pteranodons, which are sub-adults. A team of InGen employees team rolls out with specially equipped vehicles to try and catch the creatures. The InGen team catches up to the creatures and takes on down right away with a net gun. Suddenly a group of hunters in a yellow Jeep race onto the scene and start “hunting” the Pteranodons. One of the hunters shoots a beast through the wing. The Jeep is then hit in the side by one of the InGen vehicles, and goes off the trail. One of the hunters falls out of the vehicle, and as he crawls for his gun the ptero with the wing that was shot attacks him, biting off the hunters head. As the other hunters look back, another hunter is attacked by a different pterosaur. The beast is then captured by a net, and the hunter (“Greer”) is still alive, although injured. One of the pteros is dead, and two ended up being captured, which based on shell and bone fragments from the nesting site it seems to be all that is left. The InGen workers pack up and head out. Monica, though, confronts Cobb about the matter. She says that there are more out there, and that they need to take care of the matter. Cobb refuses to listen, and leaves with the rest of the InGen party. Monica, Tobias, and Jackson still aren’t satisfied though, and plan on looking for remaining animals.
Characters: Sheriff Tobias, Agent Harding, Sara Franklin, Dr. Monica Alvarez, Dr. Pettigrew, Allan Cobb, Dr. Kanada, the Hunters
Jurassic Park Devils in the Desert #4
The issue starts off with Sheriff Tobias and Dr. Alvarez in a plane, looking for the remaining migrating pteranodons. Before too long they find them. Monica circles the plane around a couple of times while Will takes shots at the flying reptiles. As he shoots at them the three beasts scatter. They soon realize though that they are heading right towards a large city. They spot one of the pterosaurs and fly towards it. Will can’t get a shot off so the head closer. Will finally manages to get a round in the creature and it starts going down. Suddenly the third Pteranodon appears in front of the plane and tries to attack Monica through the window, but it gets caught in the left propeller before it can. One of the propeller blades breaks off and hits the tail of the plane right as they pass over the city zoo. The plane goes down right in the middle of the zoo. Will and Monica stumble out of the plane right as the second Pteranodon flies down. Will’s shot apparently did not kill the beast. Bleeding from a massive laceration across his forehead, Will rushes the beast and aims his gun… only to find it empty. The massive pterosaur lunges forward and attacks Will Tobias, killing him. The creature turns to see Monica and starts heading towards her. As the pterosaur bites one of Monica’s boots, she kicks the beast in the head. The pterosaur lets go and Monica races towards a large enclosure. She climbs in, in hopes to draw an inhabitant out. As the pterosaur appears she jumps into a large pool in the enclosure and as she resurfaces she is face to face with a pissed of polar bear. Monica jumps out of the way as the pterosaur snaps forward. The bear rushes in and the two animals start fighting one another as Monica starts to make her escape from the area. The polar bear jumps into the water, bringing the pterosaur with it. The two animals fight under the water as pedestrians watch. Monica stops for a moment and looks at the pool. It starts turning red with blood and the polar bear drags the pteranodon, which is now dead, out of the water. Nine days later, a large group of people are gathered at a cemetery for Will Tobias’ funeral. Agent Harding talks with Dr. Alvarez and her father Dr. Ramirez as they leave the funeral. Harding talks about having many reports to file, and expecting lawsuits to be made against InGen. Monica says that dealing with the beasts was as much dumb luck as scientific theory since they are, as Dr. Grant said it, “genetically engineered monsters.” But she does have to wonder, if the Pteranodons rode spring winds from South America, what’s going to happen next year….
Characters: Sherriff Tobias, Dr. Monica Alvarez, Agent Harding, Sara Franklin, Tyler Franklin, Liz
Jurassic Park Devils in the Desert Graphic Novel
A compilation of all the Jurassic Park Devils in the Desert comic issues #1-4.
