The adventures of your favorite tank cruising girl with an attitude continue in TANK GIRL:  ACTION ALLEY #2! Will T.G. and her crew get to her mother’s bedside before it’s too late? Will they get the Tankmaster back? Will they survive their trek across Action Alley? Find out in TANK GIRL: ACTION ALLEY #2, out on January 23rd, from Titan Comics!

TANK GIRL: ACTION ALLEY #2

Story: Alan Martin with Lou Martin
Writer: Alan Martin
Art, Cover: Brett Parson
Publisher:  Titan Comics
Release Date: January 23rd, 2019

Previously in TANK GIRL: ACTION ALLEY: Tank Girl’s adoptive mother is dying, so Tank Girl and friends begin a trek across Australia to see her, but things begin to go bad pretty quick. While making a pit stop for bodily functions, the Tankmaster, a heavily modified RV with a turret, was stolen. Now TG and crew are in hot pursuit, with Tank Girl on the roof of her stolen vehicle.

ACTION ALLEY BOUND, LOADED UP AND TANKIN’…

As Barney is in hot pursuit of the stolen Tankmaster, Tank Girl herself has been able to climb to the top of the massive vehicle, but not is faced with a low tunnel and the possibility of being squished like a bug on a windshield. But as Barney watches from her pursing motorcycle, T.G. disappears. A trap door in the roof of the vehicle has opened and our morally ambiguous heroine has dropped into the safety of the Tankmaster.

Did I say safety? That may be a little, or a lot, of an overstatement. As T.G. gains her bearings, she is confronted by a snarling, savage, bandana/neckerchief wearing kangaroo! She takes a swing at the animal and quickly discovers that it is solid as a rock. The animal responds with its own devastating right, and the Girl of Tanks is savagely knocked out!

In the driver’s cab of the Tankmaster, the hijacker driving realizes he lost his partner Ronald. But luckily, Barney has just pulled up beside and leaps to action. With ferocious feet of fury, she pummels the thief until he is ejected from the cab, landing in a very uncomfortable position upon a sharp rock roadside rock. Barney quickly get the vehicle under control, and calls out to Tank Girl, who, unknown to her, is unconscious with a now ordinary kangaroos standing over her.

A little ways back, we find Sub Girl still punching the other thief, the missing Ronald, in the face, or at least what used to be his face. Satisfied that he has been punished enough, Sub mounts the tandem bike Jet Girl is piloting just as their friend Dobson rides up. The group leaves in pursuit of the Tankmaster.

But what about Booga? Last we saw him he was chasing Barbara, the kangaroo he had smuggled in the back of the Tankmaster, across the desert landscape. He finally catches up to her, only to be confronted by a herd of savage kangaroos with blood in their eye. He realizes that discretion is the better part of valor and hightails it away, the horde of killer kangaroo right on his tale. His flight leads him to the rest of the gang and their now reclaimed Tankmaster, and seeing his flight, and hearing his cries of “START THE ENGINE!” they all decide it is time to go. Once inside and safely on the move, they discover the docile kangaroo and an unconscious Tank Girl. Decisions have to be made. Time is running out for Tank Girl to see her adoptive mother, and the only way to make it there is time will be through Action Alley? But should they. Or will they take the safer, if longer, route around the ominously named path?

You did read the title of this story when you picked it up, right?

I’M ALLEY BOUND, JUST WATCH OL’ TANK GIRL ROLL…

This current Tank Girl series from Titan Comics is touted as the first ongoing Tank Girl series. Tank Girl c-creator Allen Martin (Judge Dredd Megazine, Deadline) teams up with artist Brett Parson (New Romancer, Tank Girl: Two Girls, One Tank) to take us on a wild ride across the Australian outback of the future. Tank Girl has found her adoptive mother is dying, and she and her friends make way across the country to see her before it is to late. As an ongoing series, there have been promises of a few long-lasting Tank Girl questions will be answered, a major one being the origin of Booga and his mutant kangaroos/human brethren. The series starts off with a bang and this issue continues the action. You have some solid dialogue, strong independent women, and more apocalyptic hi-jinx than you can shake a stick at. Fans of Tank Girl should pick this up and Allen Martin is bringing his A-game.

Artist Brett Parson is on point as well. He has a solid style with a near cartoon style and adds a solidity of line to it that makes it anchor the story. His colors give a big pop to the panels and he gives each character a look which makes them easily discernable from the next. I really dig his work here, and can’t wait to see more of it.

BOTTOM LINE: TANK GIRL IS LOADED FOR GIANT MUTANT KOALA!

I have to admit, I enjoyed the Tank Girl movie (I’m sorry) and it should be recognized that a lot of the general public, even within the comic community, have no other exposure to Tank Girl than that, and it is a shame. Put the movie aside and pick up this series. Despite having the subtitle “Action Alley”, this is an ongoing series, with the Action Alley story being the first. They even double number it in the indicia, which I love! That little piece said, the story captures the feel of the gonzo Tank Girl world the various comics have created over the years, but is accessible enough for new readers, which is something important in today’s overcrowded comic market.   It’s solid, and looks beautiful.

TANK GIRL: ACTION ALLEY #2 is a great jumping on point for new readers. Fans, old and new, should grab a copy when it hits shelves.