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Comicphiles: Ghostly Debt Collecting Aliens

Comicphiles: Ghostly Debt Collecting Aliens

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Don’t have time for comics anymore? Blasphemy! Although, I do feel you. The hectic norms of everyday non-superheroics can be a burden when you just want to dive into an issue and immerse yourself in fantasy for a while. In the moments that you find space to breathe and indulge in your hobby, it becomes apparent that there are more options out there than ever before. This isn’t necessarily bad, but a filter for all the non-desirables would aid in the process of getting to the really good stuff a lot quicker.

Do not fret! You should know by now that we have you covered. This is Comicphiles, where we bring you bitesize breakdowns of brand new comic books.

What first issues are worth picking up? This week our three contenders come from Image, Dark Horse and Boom! Studios.

TOKYO GHOST

Tokyo Ghost Humanity has become a slave to technology, craving every modicum of information it provides, enchanted by the allure of being fed by a digital suckle with great reluctance to return to reality. And neglecting their body and their freedom for an existence they perceive to be beyond their own. The year is 2089. Los Angeles is plagued by complacent officials unwilling to enforce laws that benefit the populace. Crime lords effectively run the city and they trade with technology that facilitates virtual thrills. Naturally, In a competitive industry as this, a hierarchy is in place to make sure that debts are paid and that crimes are justly punished. Our protagonists, Constable Led Dent and Debbie Decay, are the enforcers of this hierarchy. Two individuals with very mismatched personalities, who we find out have a past beyond being work colleagues.

Tokyo Ghost starts out as an homage to works of cinema like Akira and Mad Max: Road Warrior, but it diverges into areas of its own uniqueness, that are intriguing to those expecting a certain type of story. With its heavy inspiration from anime through the filter of the western science fiction genre, we get a really sweet blend that is well-paced in the sense that it gives time to take in the world that they are building. Each relatable instance between the two constables is accompanied with lunacy of the ‘over-the-top’ action variety and it transitions beautifully between both.

Aesthetically, everything pops. Everything feels suitably futuristic, yet somehow grounded in the reality of our time. On top of the attractive visuals and finely paced storytelling is a nice dynamic between our two leads. Led and Debbie have a relationship that has layers of mystery on it and the true drawing point for the comic will be when they unravel these layers in the future. Come for the carnage, stay for the story.

WILL I CONTINUE TO READ? Grit and Savagery aplenty. Great Stuff! Yes.

THE PAYBACKS

The Paybacks Filthy stinking rich heroes! They run businesses that are in the upper echelon of the NASDAQ and yet we get little explanation as to what their companies actually produce. Vague pharmaceutical products, general technology and war weaponry is the standard fare for these multi-billion dollar conglomerates. Most of them appear to be cheating the system by not contributing to society in any meaningful way outside their cowls and capes. Thankfully, we now have an answer as to why they have seemingly infinite piles of money (despite never being present to run their business) and a solution to keeping the egos in check of these advocates of luxurious spending . The Paybacks are here! Giving out loans to the spoiled and wasteful, but also making sure they return every cent of the money that went towards very necessary invisible attack helicopters or fully equipped suits of armor. Once you are late on a loan, the punishment is joining the team. Doomed to hunt down others who are as unreliable with money as you are.

The Paybacks comes from a place of admiration and is a well constructed parody of superhero tropes. In the inaugural issue, we meet the focal members of the team consisting of Miss Adventure, Blood Pouch, The Driver, The Soviet Nunchuk, Skisquatch and Emory Rains. The decidedly colourful names should be an indication of the liveliness of the characters throughout this comic. Each is brimming with a comical character trait that is known from the superhero genre, but also illustrating traits of certain big budget action films such as The Expendables.

Dialogue is sharp in the sense of its awareness of the stupidity that can be found in these comic book worlds; a highlight in particular being Night Knight, the first target of the team, who bears a striking resemblance to a certain Dark Knight. His brooding nature to protect his city while writing his dark memoirs is a delight to behold that will have you smiling from panel to panel. Other standouts include Miss Adventure and The Driver. From what we know of Miss Adventure, she is known as ‘the deadly one’. We don’t see this explored thoroughly. We only see the aftermath of an encounter — and oh, what an aftermath it is! Keeping the group in check is The Driver. He drives the van and is angry when things don’t go well. That’s about all you need to know.

The art style is crisp and befitting of the tone of gritty, action packed fun. Really enjoyable! Additionally, it has a battle unicorn named Knight Mare. Glorious.

WILL I CONTINUE READING? Lighthearted. Entertaining. Yes!

WILD’S END: THE ENEMY WITHIN

Wild's End: The Enemy Within The corruption of the innocent is a fun topic. A guilty pleasure of sorts. Imagine a world where the well-spoken animals of a quaint countryside storybook were plunged into a war against extraterrestrial beings. Wild’s End is the comic that you are imagining.

In this incarnation titled Wild’s End: The Enemy Within, the aftermath of the alien invasion is revealed in the form of heavy military presence in Lower Crowchurch. The residents of the town are shaken from the ‘incident’ that occurred and are now on full lockdown. Arriving in the stronghold is Herbert Runciman and Lewis Cornfelt, two science fiction writers with very different perspectives on the genre. They are specialists in their literary field brought in to be informants in regards to the invaders. It is suspected that alien spies hide among the population of the town. Whether this is purely speculative or the honest truth, however, remains to be seen.

Forgive the cliché when I say that this is a comic that oozes charm. A wonderful marriage of wit, well-defined designs and a plot with an intentionally methodical pace. Cleverly, it depicts a folksy setting typically reserved for children’s books and explores the nature of what these mild-mannered creatures would do when turmoil unfolds before their eyes. As a first issue, it does a good job in the sense that prior knowledge of the series is not needed. Special credit must go to the colourful art style that complements somber tones of narrative, while in parts maintaining the feel of a storybook. If you have to buy only one this week, Wild’s End: The Enemy Within would fit well in anybody’s collection. The hype for the next issue is real.

WILL I CONTINUE READING? Yes and you definitely should too. 

Sadly, we have failed in our endeavour to lighten your load of ‘must buy’ purchases this week. Sorry about that – happy spending!

If you have read any of the comics above, please let us know what you think of them in the comments.

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