By -
DANGER GIRL
Writer:  J. Scott Campbell & Andy Hartnell
Artist:  J. Scott Campbell
IDW Publishing | TPB | $18.99
Browsing comic covers one day while looking for the trade about which I would write this column, Danger Girl caught my eye. It’s not that I recognized the writer or the artist or even that I was a big fan of Wildstorm’s stuff but the cover caught my eye for reasons that will be apparent to anyone familiar with JSC’s body of work.
J Scott Campbell got his start as artist and co-creator of Gen13 and is known throughout the industry for his highly sexualized depictions of women. Andy Hartnell co-created Gen13 with Campbell and has also written Army of Darkness: Ashes to Ashes for Dynamite comics.
Abbey Chase is a treasure hunter in the vein of Nathan Drake in the Uncharted video game franchise. While wrestling with a fellow plunderer in a ship that’s headed for a waterfall, she is saved by several statuesque women. Recruited into an all-female strike force to fight a modern incarnation of Nazis, she is part spy, part action hero and all woman.
The story has its fair amount of plot holes. Why does Abbey join the Danger Girl squad? How did the squad come to be? Who do they even work for beyond Deuce, their handler?  The action movie plot merely moves the Danger Girls from skimpy outfits to jumping into bubble baths to wrestling with each other. To the extent that there is a story here, it is half Indiana Jones and half Charlie’s Angels.
The art is truly fantastic, though I would not recommend it for younger readers. While it’s easy to dismiss JSC as a smutty artist, he really does amazing work. His facial expressions are some of the most detailed in any book I’ve read recently, and his art compliments this type of story.
While the writing falls somewhat flat, the action and art are enough to redeem this book. It’s the equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie where you know the bad guy’s actions or motives might not make sense, but you’re just there for the gun fights, big explosions and Scarlett Johansson.
Final rating (out of 5):
goldstargoldstargoldstargoldstar

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Robert Kirkman: Invincible, Walking Dead, Wolf-Man

By -
Image
I wasn't actually a huge fan of Robert Kirkman when I first started reading his books.  He was competent, sure, but I didn't see the appeal-- The Irredeemable Ant-Man was a boring side story in the middle of  Civil War and  The Initiative (although I've since changed my mind about this), and his  Ultimate X-Men run was, in many places, a mixed bag (although I did very much enjoy his "Phoenix?" storyline).  And  Marvel Zombies  just seemed like a ridiculous idea--not that I bothered to try it at the time. Now, though?  I've completely reevaluated my opinion on his work, and when his name is attached to a project, I'm far more likely to give it a look.  I don't know if I'd classify him as a master storyteller or a comics icon--but he's very skilled, he has an incredible knack for dialog, and he writes stories that, no matter how ridiculous, seem real .  In a medium where characters frequently violate the rules of physics, that's not alway
Read more

more random readings from May 2009

By pghhead -
Image
What else did I finish reading last month?  Here’s a cross-section of various titles . . . . . . . . . WITCHBLADE #126 “War Of The Witchblade Part 2” by Ron Marz and Stejepan Sejic  (Top Cow/Image) Preface:  Now here’s an interesting concept! = In order to attract new readers to its’ titles Top Cow is giving out free books each month as part of it’s Let Us Win You Over project.  ( www.topcow.com/freecomics )  Every month it’s a different title. And they work through different comics shops each month as well.  In April the title was Witchblade #126 and one of the participating dealers was Captain Blue Hen Comics in Newark, DE (my preferred supplier) so voila! - - - I find a copy in my hands. Since the last time I explored the Witchblade series the mythology has expanded to a battle between the forces of light and dark with each side choosing its agents on Earth, hence the Darkness vs. the Witchblade.  I’m still not overly interested in this type of fare on a regular basis, but
Read more

Best descriptive 2013 title: Vampire Vixens of the Wehrmacht

By pghhead -
Image
VAMPIRE VIXENS OF THE WEHRMACHT “If You Want Blood” one-shot (Bump and Grind Comics, August 2013, second printing with foreword by film maker Paul Campion) Writers: The Emperor + Alex Ronald.  Artist: Alex Ronald.  Letterer: Jim Campbell. Original Concept: Alex Ronald.  (Parental Advisory, Adult Content)  Limited print run, but digital copies are available from http://www.vampirevixens.co.uk/           If you can’t figure out what this comic is about from that title, then I’m guessing you’ve been living for decades in a cave without a DVD player and no access to cable television.   VAMPIRE VIXENS OF THE WEHRMACHT is a fast-paced horror comic driven by action, rooted in World War II history, and dripping with blood, gore and tantalizing sexual imagery.  What makes it work is a light-hearted approach to the subject matter, all in fun but never silly or stupid.  You may find yourself laughing at several of the scenarios or chuckling at the devilish dialogue.           VAMPIRE VIXENS O
Read more