Aspen Comics 2017
Written by Mark Roslan
Illustrated by Angel Tovar
Coloured by Federico Blee
Lettered by Zen
The BubbleGun team discovered that working off their debt to the gangster, Sir Penny, was not a singular act. After stealing data from a DNA secured server, the crew quickly realized they had bitten off more than they could chew, as Sir Penny revealed his plot to mass produce a new street drug, Nectar, using the information they provided. Now, with the threat of Sir Penny ending their lives held over their heads, their plan to break into Armorcorp to utilize their security bots is their only hope—unfortunately, a rather large security deterrent blocks the way…
I’m a fan of this book because it feels like it’s an amalgamation of things that I already like. While it reeks of Japanese Anime franchises, and with the name I still can’t get past Bubblegum Crisis, with a Mission Impossible feel that uses a much more Mod Squad approach to the characters in terms of dialogue and relatability. Yes I could probably throw in more like, such as or related to’s into my description because I love what the work Mark is doing here makes me feel. He’s touching me in places that are generally reserved for nostalgia not for something brand new and I gotta say i’m digging every moment of it!
I’m pretty impressed as well with the story development here. I mean the crew finds themselves in the unenviable position of being forced to work for a man of ill-repute and during this job for while we get to regale ourselves in their skill sets it would seem they go from frying pan to fire. That Mark isn’t just satisfied to work one angle at a time he has to throw something and someone else into the mix to complicate matters further. Soon it won’t be a matter of whom they have to work to for it’ll be will they be alive to work for themselves?
Angel and Federico do some great work on the interiors here. I’m kind of obsessed with how the gun shoots goop that reminds us of bubble gum. The way that the technology is represented, that cobra for instance, is superb. The way page layouts are utilised through their angles and perspective are extremely well done. There’s a balance between using backgrounds and leaving them open that i’m more a fan than I would usually admit. And the way the colours surround some of the narration is great to see.
I like this because it’s not only good old fashioned escapism but it’s also very much because it’s this whole new and original kind of familiar work that resonates. It’s got some great characterisation and the dialogue that readers can easily relate to. I mean personal business in the middle of a mission and the way it kind of helps them focus well it makes sense and helps us to see the characters more like people.
I love that Aspen is like the little engine that could and keeps putting out these great little titles that remind us why comics have such a diverse database.