Body Bags: A Hardcore Review

This Jason Pearson original from the 1990's, published by Dark Horse holds up like few others. Panda is in search of her dad Mack in an effort to join him as a body bagger, or bounty hunter. Mack, otherwise and better known as Clownface is a vicious, monster of a man, who's penchant for the violent and mostly irrational line of thinking in quelled to a degree by his mentor, Pops. After being without him for ten years, Panda hops a plane to Terminus, Georgia to join up with Mack and begin her training as a body bagger.
Obviously, this story is not without some cliches. Although they are really useful in propelling the story. Mack wants little if anything to do with Panda. He made his choice ten years ago and hasn't really looked back. Right before Panda's arrival, Mack and Pops are almost killed in a bombing by a rival body bagger and potential movie star, Janus. But Mack catches up with him and ruins his pretty boy good looks.
The ante is upped when on her plane ride into Terminus, Panda is groped by the son of Antonio Scorsese, obviously some fat cat crime lord. Panda responds in kind by knocking out five of "junior's" teeth and pretty much fucking up his weekend plans. His step mother, Maureen tries to broach the subject with Panda and offer her apologies for "junior's" remarks and busy hands.
Thing is Pops is dying, and he sent for Panda to join Mack. Mack doesn't want his daughter to follow in his footsteps. Not so much for the danger factor as much as the high annoyance factor that Panda brings. She's pretty high profile for being such a pint sized would be killer. And a pain in Mack's ass.
Next up is taking a hit job to get money to try and save Pops. Nothing is easy in the life of a body bagger, not even a tank like Clownface. It was all a setup, and everything that could possibly go wrong does, including losing Pops in the melee.
In the end, Panda and Mack have at it and go toe to toe. Father against daughter. Muscle and years of training against pugnacious ability and a mouth that won't stop. In the aftermath, Panda is left in critical condition with a bullet wound and Mack is left the make the biggest decision of his life.
Things I really liked about this book are the characters. A lot of black people complain that there's not a lot of blacks represented in movies, television, and comic books. Well to those who are complaining, think about this. There are even less representations of Hispanics in those three forms of media. With Body Bags, the two main characters, Mack and Panda are Mexican. But not in a stereotypical way. You might say that Mack abandoning Panda ten years ago is a stereotype of typical Hispanic males not taking responsibility for their children. But this is a totally different case. Mack is a body bagger. He hunts people. That's not really a family type environment, no matter what Duane Chapman might have you believe. Although there is a stereotype involved. That hot Latin temper. As it curses both Panda and Mack.
For years and years follow up stories of Body Bags have been planned. However due to certain personal setbacks, Jason Pearson scrapped plans for the sequel. However, re-releases of Body Bags have been printed, which include the characters appearances in Dark Horse Presents anthology. There was also a one shot comic involving mainly Panda released in 2008. Body Bag fans have been waiting patiently for years now. Hoping and praying for Pearson to release some new adventures of Mack and Panda.
The grade for this long thought dead property is fitting in it's pure hardcore feel and leaving the people clamoring for more. The year was 2001. About six months after ECW went out of business. People hadn't seen Rob Van Dam wrestle in half a year, and they needed their fix. But just as we thought we wouldn't get it. Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer appear on Raw is War helping to set off the "Invasion" angle. Rob set his sights on the Hardcore Championship which was held by Jeff Hardy. The only Alliance member who got a pop, Van Dam went into the Invasion pay per view as the crowd favorite. Hardy and Van Dam went all out, including bringing a ladder into play. In Hardcore rules, falls count anywhere and there are no count outs or DQ's. RVD brought out the steel chair and made Hardy pay by hitting a huge Van Terminator on the stage, sending Jeff tumbling to the floor. In the end, Van Dam placed the Hardcore Title on Hardy's chest, jumped to the top turnbuckle in one catlike motion and let loose the 5 Star Frog Splash for the first time ever on a World Wrestling Federation pay per view. The man known as "Mr. Monday Night" gelled his spot in the WWF and became a mainstay in the minds of wrestling fans who had never done the double thumbs or chanted, "he's the WHOLE FUCKIN' SHOW!" live at a pro wrestling event.