ADVANCE REVIEW: Bomb Queen vs. Hack/Slash Special (One Shot)

Sometimes when two comic book characters meet they fight, it’s pretty much a universal law. Sometimes these meetings are in the end good, they learn to work through each others differences to make the world a better place. That won’t be the case when Bomb Queen meets Cassie Hack, and her hulking bodyguard Vlad. Will this match made in Hell, literally pull at the strings of your heart? Or will it just be one giant tease?

Bomb Queen vs. Hack/Slash Special(One Shot)
Story and Art: Jimmie Robinson
Colors: Paul Little
Editor: Jade Dodge
Publisher: Shadowline/Image Comics
Cover Price: $3.50 USD

Previously, in both Bomb Queen, and Hack/Slash: Bomb Queen, mad super-villainess who tends to blow things up(hence the name), wear less clothing than provided by a napkin, and rules the city of New Port with a tyrannical hand. Cassie Hack, and her bodyguard Vlad travel around America killing serial killers known as “Slashers”, a supernatural brand of killer, that tend to rack up a high body count if left unchecked. On one of Cassie, and Vlad’s adventures the demon dog known as “Pooch” was encountered, and eventually came to Earth, and is now a faithful ally to the once hated Cassie Hack.

A TICKING TIME BOMB

With maniacs pouring into there world, Cassie, Vlad, and Pooch have to venture to a New Port City on a alternate Earth that’s overrun by psychopathic criminals that want nothing more than to spill the blood of our three heroes. Pooch is able to get a sense that this world is a evil place, and that evil has one form, that of a demon disguised as a black house cat named “Ashe”. As it turns out, Ashe is responsible for the surge of other worldly baddies, that plagued Cassie, and that those who plagued her are also under Ashe’s demonic control. As Bomb Queen arrives on scene to settle her own score with Ashe, and confronts Cassie, and her crew let the violence and vulgarity ensue.

I have been a big fan of Hack/Slash after reading the first Omnibus collection, and have been following Cassie, and Vlad on their many adventures. The way they are written in this comic is true to how they would appear in their own comics, and their actions, even those of Pooch don’t feel out of place. When the first issue of Bomb Queen came out, I said, to myself, “Hey! Boobies, and Violence! One stop shopping.” Figuring deep down, that it’d more than meets the eye, but sadly, I was mistaken.

The juvenile characterization, and the complete and utter vulgarity of Bomb Queen and her world wasn’t for me, so I dropped the title. Bomb Queen in the comic is exactly how I remember her, something’s have occurred in the intermediate time, but her character is just as crude, as could ever be. In hindsight Bomb Queen reminds me of all the worse parts of Garth Ennis, and Amanda Conner’s “The Pro”, she even urinates on a incapacitated Ashe controlled maniac for Gods sake, if this was meant to endear me to her, than it’s mission failed.

LOOK AT ALL THE FLASHING LIGHTS

The artwork throughout the book is a roller coaster, where there will be really good panels, like the ones showing Pooch stalking his Demon-Cat prey Ashe. Then you will have a page where Mr. Robinson wants to put his Bomb Queen towering over Cassie, making Bomb Queen look awkward. She is just in this position to show off her massive, highly exposed breasts, but some others besides myself will clamor for that, while I abstain from it.

While Cassie, and Vlad look pretty much the same as compared to other interpretations, the depiction of Pooch is a little off. Instead of looking a like a demon dog, he looks more like the Pod Person “Dog-Man”, from the 70’s remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”.

The details of the artwork in this issue are very well, backgrounds, and ancillary characters feed the sense of how much of a dung heap New Port City is. It comes across loud, and clear, and that is a important factor given it helps build the world the characters are currently engaged in. The colors on this book in no way harm the original black and white artwork, the color is very true to form, and doesn’t look out of place, which could happen, if a colorist doesn’t have restraint.

EXPLOSIVE ORDINANCE DISPOSAL

Well this special, which was supposed to be for Valentine’s Day, but was delayed, is not something I really enjoyed as a whole, but only as bits and pieces. The “Hack/Slash” portion of the comic was a solid and entertaining, and could have stood on it’s own without at an appearance of Bomb Queen, but was somewhat tarnished with the character showing up. Now with that being said, Mr. Robinson is not a bad writer or artist by any means, I have enjoyed other works of his such as the “What If? Wolverine: Enemy of the State“. But when it concerns his hyper sexualized character Bomb Queen, I can’t ignore how vulgar and off putting the character is, and focus on pretty pictures alone. This combination of characters, and story didn’t do much for me, and I feel it’s just a little below average overall.

Final Verdict, Bomb Queen vs. Hack/Slash Special receives 2 Stars, out of 5.