Teenagers from Mars; A Hardcore Review

So, you get in fights a lot?
Yeah.
You always get your ass kicked?
Yeah.
Aren't you ever afraid?
No.

The words that adorn the back cover of Teenagers From Mars. Basically summing up the entire story. Today's review is of an eight issue series from early 2000's. The series is the pentultimate teamup for Rob G and Rick Spears. This story follows Mall-Mart employee Macon Blair as he stand up to the man to defend comic books. Loses his job. And gets his ass kicked, by a balding middle aged manager of Mall-Mart.
A series of graverobbings is linked to a Satanic cult in the area. Isn't it always. Three kids are responsible. They rob the graves and then sell the loot to a pawn shop. All in the attempt to make enough money to buy Beyond Adventure #75 which is the first appearance of Captain Tomorrow.
Macon Blair is a former employee of mega giant Mall-Mart. He writes and draws a local comic called Lines on Paper. And he has just met the girl of his dreams.
Madison Lee is a super hot punk chick, with a penchant for the violent. She gets busted for assault in the aforementioned Mall-Mart after kicking the shit out of a pervert who looked up her skirt. No charges were filed on the pervert.
Macon and Madison meet up at a zombie house party. Trust me, you gotta see it to believe it. She befriends perenial loser Macon and walks him home afterwards. A romance is soon to follow. But not it any traditional sense. Macon is a proponnent of the 1st Ammendment. SO much so that he thinks kids should see scary zombie flicks and read whatever kind of comics they want. After he and Madison trash the Mall-Mart a prohibition on comic books is started in the quaint little town of Mars.
Macon's book, Lines on Paper is confiscated by the feds, and Macon is determined to get it back. This leads to the best exchange in comics history, as Macon doesn't want to risk any harm coming to Madison. She belts him in the gut and calls him a pussy. Citing that she's nobody's damsel in distress.
Macon comes back the next day and meets he on her roof. They exchange looks and then BAM! Macon pops his in the jaw. True love is never an easy thing folks. The two make like gang busters on the Mayor's office, fully rendering him to a ruthless rectal assault via gavel. Take the pages back and make off like Mickey and Malory. In the exchange of gunfire, Madison is hit and wounded pretty badly. Macon, rushes her to the hospital in which the doctor reveals himself to be a member of the Comic Book Liberation Army, giving the duo a headstart.
I have read this book a plethora of times. And I am ammused every time I read it. I have recommended this title to as many people as I can think of and more than any other book. Even my own. This made it's way to my top five and then took down the perrenial number one, The Dark Knight Retuns after I reread it for the third or fourth time. Everything that is good about comics is what makes this book a classic. I just want a hardcover copy so my paperback can be retired. I own every issue of this series ( I get mentioned in the letteres column in issue 6 although my name is butchered) and two copies of the trade paper back. One signed by writer Rick SPears. I even own a piece of artwork by Rob G that he did at APE Con several years ago. And I have charged Rob with drawing an original piece of Macon and Madison dressed up like zombies for a tattoo concept I have. He said he's up for it and then I can die happy. Although I plan to give the comic book world a run for it's money by taking what I love about TFM and making it my own in YiA.
This comic is so hardcore it was tough coming up with a grade for it. But here goes. The day before the Dudley Boys left ECW they fought little brother Spike Dudley and Balls Mahoney for the tag straps. In a moment that has to be seen to be believed and I think a first in wrestling history, Bubba and D Von set ablaze two tables outside of the ring, one on top of the other and proceed to powerbomb Little Spike Dudley through the flaming wreckage and onto the cold, hard unforgiving concrete floor below. Chants of, "Holy Shit!" "EC Dub" and, "He's Hardcore," followed. And the wrestling world would never be the same.