Comics

Review: Buzzkill # 2

Published

11 years ago

October 16, 2013

“Buzzkill” has a lot on its chest. Ruben pushes through his AA meeting in an attempt to walk away from his superhero past, but his past comes back to haunt him in a big bad way. This series continues to impress and surprise. The narrative kicks into high gear and still remains an uncompromising look at addiction. The incredibly visceral art by Geoff Shaw makes the whole thing amount to a fantastically paced mixture of superhero action and comedic insight on addiction.

WRITTEN BY: Donny Cates
ART BY: Geoff Shaw
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: October 16, 2013

Donny Cates could have really taken the easy way out with “Buzzkill.” The premise alone is perfect to stake its claim in comic history. Instead of simply being the hero powered by drugs and alcohol, Cates opts for a more complex look at the effects of superherodom, and addiction itself. They are almost paralleled perfectly in the climax of the issue. Walking away from the addiction of one is walking away from the addiction of both. Each addiction will do its damndest to drag Ruben back into the depths of personal hell.

Ruben powers and past are the center of the story this month. We learn about how various substances affect him differently. He derives diverse abilities based on his abuse of choice. It’s wonderfully simple and incredibly engaging to deepen Ruben’s powers and addiction.

Cates even treats us to a multitude of off the wall super-villains. The tropes of the genre come bursting off the page, but are beat back with incredible writing. The book teeters on the edge of becoming a parody of the genre, before delving right back into what makes it original.

Within this moment of near parody, Shaw’s art hits with full force. Ruben finds himself drinking again, and attempts to stand up for himself after having his ass grafted to the pavement. The visceral nature of Shaw’s line work and the jagged paneling makes the fighting seem sloppy and unrefined, like the action’s had one too many drinks. There is a certain edge to the art that throws you in and holds you down. Shaw’s work not only compliments the script but also makes it better.

The reveal of the new character is handled in a wonderful way. Cates use of the fixtures of addiction is the most alluring part of the book. Shaw’s depiction of Ruben and Doctor Blaqk’s first meeting is genius. The facial expressions tell you everything about the moods behind the words. I found myself completely in love with a character who had only been introduced a page before, it’s a hard task to pull off but Cates and Shaw make it look easy.

“Buzzkill” is unlike anything else you are reading. It’s intelligent, action packed, and offers a realistic look at addiction. By the end of the issue you’ll find yourself fighting off the shakes in anticipation of your next fix.

Rating 4.5/5 Skulls.

Zac Thompson

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Comics

‘Archie Comics: Judgment Day’ Exclusive Preview: Step into the Most Horrifying Version of Riverdale Ever Seen!

Published

5 days ago

April 11, 2024

John Squires

The Archie Horror label is unleashing apocalyptic thrills in Archie Comics: Judgment Day, a multi-issue demon apocalypse story billed as the first Archie Premium Event.

With their extended length and scale, comics under the brand new Archie Premium Event banner tell Archie stories that are “simply too grand for a single one-shot release.”

From writer Aubrey Sitterson and artist Megan Hutchison, Bloody Disgusting has been provided with a 6-page sequence from the upcoming Archie Comics: Judgment Day #1!

The Archie Comics team previews, “Prepare for a spine-tingling journey into the heart of Riverdale with Archie Comics: Judgment Day, an epic three-issue event set to captivate readers with a tale of demonic forces, moral quandaries, and the relentless quest for righteousness.”

Hitting shelves on May 22, 2024 from the Archie Horror imprint, the Archie Premium Event miniseries reimagines the iconic Archie Comics characters in a dark supernatural setting and promises the most horrifying version of Riverdale we’ve ever seen.

Judgment Day sets Archie Andrews on a daring quest to cleanse an alternate version of Riverdale overrun by demons. After claiming some destructive powers of his own, Archie is forced to destroy corrupted versions of the people closest to him, ostensibly in the name of the greater good.

As questions about his own morality and the sacrifices he’s made start to pile up, Archie must confront the question: are his efforts truly good, or the work of pure evil?

Writer Aubrey Sitterson tells Bloody Disgusting, “Judgment Day is my very first horror book, it’s at a company that’s extraordinarily well known for their takes on the genre, and my cocreator has a tremendous affinity and talent for horror; as a result, I felt significant pressure to get things right.”

“Recently, there’s been a trend in horror – across mediums – that works on a directly metaphorical level, a type of riddle that the audience figures out in order to unlock the message of the work,” Sitterson’s statement continues. “For Judgment Day, however, my goal was to create something that encourages people to spend time with it; something worth puzzling over as opposed to a puzzle to complete. It’s an approach that dovetails nicely with my recent efforts to write in deeper consideration of page design and the visual exploration of themes. It’s all about harnessing horror tropes and conventions as well as the iconic Archie cast to create something new and challenging that can’t be summed up with one-to-one correlations.”

Artist Megan Hutchison adds, “I knew of Aubrey and his work, and a chance to work with him is such an exciting opportunity! Once we had our first chat on the phone, I knew we were going to have so much fun. We have such similar tastes and temperaments and agreed on the same things! Instant friends! We’re also huge fans of the same horror and movie genres (including huge Dune nerds; ask us about it!) that have found their way into this book.”

“I’ve felt so supported though this whole process by Aubrey — I’ll text him an idea and he’ll love it, then we’ll go off about something horrific and dorky that we’re super into and that will make its way into the book,” Megan continues. “He also intentionally writes scenes for me with a lot of demons and crazy action and weird gothy stuff so that I can go and have fun. It’s been an amazing process and I hope to continue it after this. Also, if you haven’t read his other work, do yourself a favor — he’s one of the best writers and people working in comics right now.”

Take a peek inside the pages of Archie Comics: Judgment Day #1 below!