Written and drawn by Ross Campbell the same guy who does the amazing book, Wet Moon, for Minx. Minx was DC's attempt at attracting more female readers by tapping some of the industries best independent creators for a handful of really fucking awesome digest sized books.
Water Baby is the story of a young surfer who during a set gets attacked by a shark and loses her leg as a result. The story jumps forward several months where Brody is refusing to wear her prosthetic leg and now has a roommate in her best friend Louisa who has been tapped with the job of watching after Brody during this difficult time in her life. Brody is a tattooed, pierced tomboy hottie. Louisa is a little more laid back and feminine. Brody has dreams about shark attacks that become reminiscent of a Salvidor Dahli painting is it's obscurity and abstractness.
Brody's ex, Jake shows up one day saying her mom said he could stay with the duo. Brody's been trying to get over Jake, who never even wrote or stopped by during Brody's rehab or hospital stay. The next several weeks, that was only supposed to last a few days, Jake spends on the couch vegging out and not getting a job, eating all the ice cream sandwiches. This reminded me of my mom's second husband, who got fired from his job shortly after the wedding and then refused to get another, eating all the ice cream sandwiches and throwing away my stuffed animals. He was a 'Nam vet who had a drug habit. Mom didn't let that last too long tho. Brody on the other hand let's Jake just loaf and not do shit. The tool even brings some piece of jail bate to the house and almost gets laid before being caught by Brody and Louisa. Jake gets wasted one night, throwing up all over the couch and living room. To which Brody calls enough, steals her mom's car and her, Louisa and Jake are off the New York to drop Jake off at his folks'.
The road trip yields some unplanned results, including the car being stolen and Jake picking up on some other piece of jail bate at a diner. The girl ends up riding with the trio. Finally reaching their destination, Jake is dropped off and Louisa and Brody begin their long journey back to Florida where it all began.
This book had a lot of the great qualities that made me like Wet Moon, Campbell's other solo book series. But there was some stuff I didn't care for. Ross does an amazing job with facial expressions. However his lack of diversity when rendering males or seriously butch chicks is a bit frustrating. However both Brody and Louisa were wholly original in their appearances. Especially with all the ink Brody sports. Water Baby is an awesome ride, with some unforgettable characters, with the exception of Jake. But there's always got to be in order to make you love the other characters even more than you would if all the characters were equally cool.
The book fires on seven of eight cylinders. And for sheer purposes of this review, as it pertains to hardcore moments in wrestling history, I take you back to 2001. Shortly after both ECW and WCW had gone out of business. One night on Raw, during a WWF vs. WCW match Kane and Jericho took on the Awesome Mike Awesome and Lance Storm. During the match two guys jump the railing and with Storm and Awesome take out Jericho and Kane. The two are revealed to be Rob Van Dam and Tommy Dreamer. To the rescue of the WWF superstars runs out the B team of the WWF. They face off with Kane and Y2J against the four invaders. However you realize something is off. And then it hits you. The remaining six guys are the Dudley Boys, Rhino, Raven, Taz and Justin Credible. All ECW guys. The brawl starts as the group of ten begins destroying Jericho and Kane. All topped by Paul Heyman on color saying, "I want you to remember this moment." Takes off his headset and climbs into the ring proclaiming the ECW is invading.
Showing posts with label invasion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label invasion. Show all posts
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Monday, August 2, 2010
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.
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.
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