By Benjamin Marra
Publisher:
Fantagraphics (December 5, 2017)
Hardcover, 232
pages
This
book is not all it seems on the surface. At first it looks like just an
over-the-top uber-violent action tale, a homage to low budget 80s action film, similar
to the ones Cannon used to put out. Yet as it goes on, and the killings and violence
just go on and on and on, it takes on the form of parody, but that’s only if
you look at it a little deeper than you should. This is one of the stronger
points of the book. You can take it as parody, or just enjoy a violent slasher
story.
A
knife-wielding killer is on the loose, committing extreme acts of violence on
strippers and hookers. Only one man has a will powerful enough to stop this
psychopath: Johnny Timothy. This is a jaundiced view of society. The city of
this story seems devoid of any people who aren't strippers, hookers, rapists,
gang members, vigilantes, sex cultists, or thug enforcers. It is a world filled
with tough guys and big tits and the streets are riddled with gun-wielding rapists
just looking for a woman walking alone. One man takes to the streets to avenge
a dead girl, which all wraps together into a surprising ending. Not the one you
might think.
Unlike
the author’s previous book, Terror
Assaulter, the art does not play to the ridiculousness of the story. In
this book, the art is the greatest detriment. Lots of stiff limbs, weird
dialogue, and almost-good art. It kind of reminds me of the action sequences I
used to draw in the margins of my middle-school notebook. This lack of
sophistication really shone out when it came to differentiating between two of
the main characters. They were drawn so similarly, that I sometimes got one
mixed up with the other. But I still enjoyed the novel.
For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.
For more readings, try books by Rex Hurst.
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