IDW Publishing 2018
Written Joshua Jabcuga
Illustrated by Tadd Galusha
Coloured by Ryan Hill
Lettered by Tom B. Long
President Nixon has discovered an alien threat, and he knows there's only one man he can reach out to for help: Elvis Presley. But will Elvis be enough to defeat a horde of Cosmic Blood-Suckers?
Well to be quite honest I had to look up Bubba Ho-Tep the cinematic film and afterwards I decided that I have to put it on my of must watch list. Based on that and what I see here I think I am going to enjoy this a lot more than I had thought I originally would. The opening is intriguing enough and the way that it is presented certainly opens the door of intrigue to what is going to happen next. Joshua actually does a really nice job with it and the way he’s structured the entire book. There is a great ebb & flow to how we see the story unfold and how we are introduced to this crazy mad world.
Our first look at Elvis isn’t one that I am likely for get anytime soon. Tadd does a great job but there are couple of things I notice right away. That hair for one is something I don’t remember seeing as it’s a bouffant with an exaggerated curl and the fact that he is emerging from a sensory deprivation tank and his boxers are stone cold dry. There is clearly liquid in there but no an ounce on him or hugging him in all the right places.
I will say that as the story progresses and we see the Colonel and the white house itself coming into play things get a lot ore surreal. I love every single freakin moment of it too because it feels like everything including the kitchen sink is being thrown into the story from our small of stature round of waist Colonel to the Lurch the chauffeur driver to Warehouse 13 and the bloody nosed Richard Nixon. While that barely scratches the surface suffice it to say what Joshua so crazily effective does is set the stage for this story and a whole lot more down the pike. This is the first issue of a franchise in the making and with our love of the paranormal, conspiracy theories and monsters I cannot see anyone finding this NOT to their liking. Think Ash vs The Evil Dead television program but on steroids.
Other than what I mentioned above about Tadd’s work I have to admit that I do like his attention to detail and how he’s able to manipulate the linework through it’s varying weights to bring both subtle and mod moment so life. The way that page layouts are utilised and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a great eye for storytelling. The moments that we see backgrounds in use are spectacular as they really do expand the moment, the mood, tone and feel of what we should be seeing.
This issue introduces to the cast of eclectic characters who each have a reason for being with and/or working for the Colonel. I found his characterisation here of particular interest as the man at the end isn’t the one we first see. I like how all of them seem to be there for different reasons and how this unlikely group led by an even more unlikely man, if one can call him that. Of all the groupings that could possibly create an alternate history with a supernatural tint this one is kind of the most outrageous and quite possibly the most tongue in cheek horrific fun.
I am interested to see where this goes and if this first arc can be as successful as I think it can be then it should be something of a modern marvel.