Everyone has heard of the 27 club; Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison and even the late Amy Winehouse all died 27 years young, at the peak of their careers. The name of this new comic is, I’m sure, supposed to invoke this mythical club, as the protagonist, William Garland, is a washed up rock star trying for a second shot of fame. The twist, and it is a good one, is that Garland had a device implanted in his chest by the Spirit of Creativity. This device gives him 27 “shots of genius” with one catch – he dies the 27th time he uses it. Read on for the skinny…
WRITTEN BY: Charles Soule
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: Renzo Podesta
COVER: Scott Forbes
“The next, new reader-friendly chapter in the 27 saga begins HERE. Almost a year after the events of 27: FIRST SET, Will Garland, down-on-his-luck rock star, is desperate to recapture his lost fame. How far will he go, and will he encounter more cosmic craziness and intense action on the way? Answers: very far indeed, and absolutely. But on the plus side – groupies!”
The author of this story is Charles Soule, and his words mesh well with the art of Renzo Podesta, giving the overall comic a 90’s grunge vibe, which not only fits with the protagonist’s overall persona, but also adds a certain element of the grotesque to the pages. The device would be the most grotesque thing in this comic, as not only a source of unknown power but also its creepy green, cyborg-like blinking lights, except for the villain who is introduced on the last page of the comic. I won’t ruin anything by telling you her motives, but the way Podesta illustrates her carnivorous grin is more than enough to make anyone want to pick up the second issue of this comic to find out what happens to Garland… Does he find fame again? Does the device kill him? And what is up with that creepy, fat, middle-aged, villain lady… I really want to see her get what’s coming to her even though she is only in the comic for a grand total of one page.
3 Out Of 5 Skulls