Image Comics 2015
Written by James Robinson
Illustrated & Lettered by Greg Hinkle
Seriously i’m absolutely in love with this story. It’s gone from Airboy being the guys drug and sex fueled world to them being in Airboy’s. Just the fact that James has been able to demonstrate the worst our current society has to offer in two issues using himself and Greg as the main characters completely shattering that fourth wall in such fun and unexpected ways has made it all the more interesting. Oh if I ever see Greg at a convention I wanna see how accurately he’s portrayed himself!
This issue starts off with Airboy showing them his world, one where it’s World War II and there are Nazi robots attacking in the streets. I love the guys reaction here thinking that they’ve done some massive drugs in their day but never have they experienced a trip like this one! I also like that while Airboy and his world is in colour the guys really aren’t and still in this blue tones. The characterization may not be them per se but seriously if it’s close I wanna hang out with them, hell even if it’s not with what we see and read here I still wanna go drinking with em!
As they watch what’s happening on the ground and seeing Skywolf in action they are attacked from a plane and have to run from rooftop to rooftop trying to survive. I laughed so hard at this and the different reactions the boys have here. Oh and then Airboy’s response to their responses yeah it just screams both hilarity and demonstrates just how different as a culture we’ve become and how lax our morals and values have gotten.
The introduction to the other’s into this story goes a nice way to keep fleshing out the world James didn’t want to write about by giving it this incredible vitality and substance that keeps the reader’s interest. Then of course there is the whole conversation between Airboy and James and it’s emotional and deep and the two actually seem to find a connection with one another. It’s definitely another thing that I hadn’t expected to see.
However for every step forward there’s one or two taken backwards. Though this time around there’s nothing like a woman scorned now is there? Val takes matters into her own hands and what she does and the reaction that causes well it’s really something you have to see. Now remember earlier Greg did something I didn’t mention but he has to clean himself up and that’s kind of when everyone gets to see his manhood and it’s quite something for them all to behold. Seriously I wanna see if that’s remotely close now lol.
I know that this book isn’t for everyone but for me I think it’s genius nothing is really off bounds not even te creators themselves in being ridiculed or made fun of.