Writer/artist: Graham Pearce
Publisher: Pier-C Comics
It’s the 1990’s, and Mike Battle finds himself slap-bang in the middle of the crossover-happy, story-deficient, gimmick-driven Image era of comics (so he has something in common with the current Marvel regime then). This gives creator Graham Pearce an opportunity to turn his sharp satirical eye on to the many absurdities of that period in comics publishing, and as ever, each and every swipe is absolutely spot on, from minor visual elements like characters festooned with impractical costume pouches, to more overt digs such as the hordes of painfully generic and pathetically undeveloped characters bursting from every page.
As top-notch as the lampooning is, it would be a disservice to Pearce’s talents to suggest that that’s all there is to this comic; it stands as an entertaining and well-produced title in its own right, with the art in particular standing out this issue. Pearce is a very strong cartoonist and a great visual storyteller, and the result is a comic with a distinct and attractive look that easily conveys the humour of the script.
Much as I liked Robert Kirkman’s ode to 90s comics in Marvel Team-Up #19, it didn’t go far enough to make use of the possibilities inherent in the premise; Pearce doesn’t shy away from making fun of an era in comics that more than deserves scorn and ridicule, but at the same time his affection for that period is clear, and together the combination of satire and tribute makes for an entertaining read.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!