Comics

Review: ‘The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys’ #3

Published

11 years ago

August 16, 2013

Gerard Way and Shaun Simon’s third “Killjoys” chapter fleshes out the world and moves the narrative in a cool new direction. Cloonan’s art continues to be the biggest draw of this fantastically imaginative series.

WRITTEN BY: Gerard Way & Shaun Simon
ART BY: Becky Cloonan
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: August 14, 2013

The issue begins with an innocent enough beat. Things become abundantly clear that major conflict is on the horizon. The girl is being primed for her fate in the conflict. The air of mystery is thickened and the world gets deeper.

“Killjoys” is a fantastic read. The script has a very lyrical feel thanks to Way and Simon. The dialogue pops off the page and filled with youthful energy. Every time one of the teenagers living off the wasteland speaks you feel a spark course through you. The dialogue is that good.

The world of the wasteland feels particularly unique. While this may be due to the incredible work done by Becky Cloonan, the script does use locations to its advantage. The jumbled and chaotic nature of the desert is juxtaposed perfectly with the scenes in Battery City.

The moments in Battery City shed more light on Korse. He amounts to the antagonist of the series. While his motives seem nefarious, and his ties to corporate culture condemn him indefinitely, the script allows him to develop. Korse has a decision to make, and his choice is more than surprising.

The porno droids take center stage this month. Their plight is made much more clear. They are fighting for love, and fighting to stay alive. It has a surprising amount of emotional depth. Especially when held against the fun loving nature of the other stories.

The final beats with The Ultra V’s seem to promise a new leader. The girl is an inspired choice. Given her breakdown at the beginning of the issue, however, she may not be the best choice. Time will tell if this is even the course the story is treading. So far though, most of the series has been anything but unpredictable. Which is fine, the world, and the art is enough to sell copies every month.

Cloonan’s art continues to be the best reason to pick this book up. Her sense of visual style is unparalleled, and moves this book to a league of its own. If you have any doubts, page 14 will change your mind entirely. Korse’s partner vaulting into the air is terrifying and exciting. Korse’s face in the final panel says everything the dialogue does. Simply masterful stuff.

The final two pages are a real treat from Cloonan. Way and Simon’s script really lets her flex her muscles in terms of world building. She has built her definitive style into this futuristic neon soaked world and it oozes from the pages.

“Killjoys” is a solid read, start to finish. The issue adds some real depth to the characters that was vastly needed to keep the stakes of the narrative fresh. It seems the future of the plot may go a very traditional and predictable route, however, the book has surprised before. This wasn’t as good as the debut issue, but a compelling chapter nonetheless. I’m looking forward to more.

3.5/5 Skulls

Reviewed by – Jimbus_Christ

Lonnie Nadler

1 Comment

Comics

‘The Toxic Avenger’ Returns with Cover Artwork for First Issue of New Comic Book Series [Exclusive]

Published

2 weeks ago

May 13, 2024

John Squires

With a remake on the way and a new 4K restoration of the original classic now streaming, it’s a good time to be a fan of Troma’s The Toxic Avenger. Additionally, Matt Bors — the founder of The Nib and a political cartoonist who has twice been named a Pulitzer Prize finalist —and acclaimed artist Fred Harper (Snelson) are collaborating on an all-new 5-issue comic book series starring the satirical superhero of the Troma Films cult classic films!

TOXIC AVENGER #1 will land in stores on October 9, 2024.

While you wait, you can exclusively check out the issue #1 cover art from Fred Harper below, along with a set of emojis designed by Harper for the extremely online teens of Tromaville.

“The Toxic Avenger delivers what Troma fans want,” said AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer. “The series has violent action, gross mutations, bursting pustules, eye-popping visuals, and trenchant humor.”

“If there was ever a superhuman hero for these toxic, miserable times, Toxie is the one!” said Lloyd Kaufman. “Only AHOY Comics and Bors & Harper could pull this off…er…mop this up! Toxie and the Troma Team can’t wait ‘til you read -no, experience – the art and stories that the Toxic Avenger Comic Book will explode in your brain, your soul, and your heart. Above all, remember – Toxie loves you and so do I.”

“This series will combine elements of the original films with the Toxic Crusaders cartoon and characters in familiar ways, updated to tell a story of environmental devastation, corporate control, and social media mutation,” said Bors. “The Toxic Avenger is first and foremost an environmental satire, one about a small town and its unremarkable people trapped and transformed by circumstances they don’t control. The story Fred Harper and I are telling is about people frustrated by authorities telling them not to worry about their life, that things are fine, even as their dog mutates in front of their eyes. And at its core it is about a powerless boy, Melvin, who finds out he can be incredibly strong, hideously mutated, well-admired, and incredibly heroic… but still ultimately powerless over human behavior.”

In The Toxic Avenger, teenager Melvin Junko helps run his parent’s junkyard in Tromaville, a small town in New Jersey where nothing much ever happens — until an ill-timed train derailment of toxic waste transforms Melvin into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength: the Toxic Avenger!

Under a media blackout imposed by Biohazard Solutions (BS) and their PR-spewing Chairwoman Lindsay Flick, Melvin emerges as a hero fighting against BS and the mutated threats that keep popping up around Tromaville.

Eventually Melvin uncovers a vast conspiracy more far-reaching than he could have ever imagined — but he knows if everyone is simply made aware of the crisis, they’ll act to stop it. Right?