Aftershock Comics 2018
Created & Written by Patrick Kindlon
Created & Illustrated by Marco Ferrari
Coloured by Patrizia Comino
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Renny and Robot Paul try to break the syndicate's stranglehold on Las Vegas' red light district. But a trip to the brothel proves deadly when Renny gets recognized by an old flame who would love to bury the hatchet--into his skull!
This is a Mature Reader’s book of that there is no doubt. The first page alone tells us that and I have to say I might have found myself just a tad smitten with Patrick after seeing the opening here. Oh sweet mother of Pearl Bailey what we see is utterly delightful and full of the kind of surprises that makes you appreciate the fact that Patrick and Marco are willing to do things that push the envelope of what people might consider the norm. Seeing what we do here I have to say I am more than a bit disappointed that we didn’t see Renny full frontal after all this is a mature title and considering what year it is just saying.
Plus the dialogue here is utterly sensational as we get the banter between Renny and Robot Paul as they discuss his plans for what is to come. There is something magical about this and the way that Renny comes across as this regular bloke who hasn’t a care in the world other than what’s on his mind and his actions are such that there is no turning back once he’s underway. There are two moments that stand out for me that really do the best of jobs when it comes to see the kind of man Renny truly is and the first is when the bouncer won’t let him in and that dude wow. The banter, the disrespect and the way Robot Paul intervenes well hello.
So the fact that in the time he spent away the brothel went from human women to robots well he’s not happy about that but when in Rome right? Well not so much because Renny strips down bollocks naked though we see nothing alas still his confidence to run around starkers this way well I am impressed with that. That he orders his team to get into their positions and what we hear him wanting them to do well buggeration and fuckery.
The work that Marco and Patrizia do on the interiors here is marvellous to see as they really do have this unique style and way of working together to bring the best to the page. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a very good solid eye for storytelling. The way we see the backgrounds being utilised is wonderful as they really do work to expand the moment, the story and add this sense of size and scope to this world. For me the blue and purples that are so prevalent here are delightful. The imagination and creativity on display here is sensational with the merging of man and metal.
This is the kind of over the top fun everyone enjoys having. This is the future and it’s twisted in ways that make it extremely delicious and interesting. Ya know I really do wish that we’d gotten some decent nudity here as all these humans are having kinky interactions with robots and while the idea is odd enough I so wanted to see it play out and that’s warped and twisted in and off itself. We also get an introduction of a new character who remembers Renny and not so fondly. So it seems Renny needs to do some research if he’s going to take on targets that no longer exist or are run by someone else. He won’t that’s not who he is but then again that truly is what I love about him.
Smartly written with excellent pacing, characterisation and wonderful suited interior artwork this is what we need in our lives right now. Renny is one of the most superb characters around right now and it’s high time for you to find out why!