The top-secret, X-rated, betrayal-filled origins of Mooby, the Golden Calf have remained a well-kept secret… until now. Your Major Spoilers review of Quick Stops II #2 from Dark Horse Comics awaits!
QUICK STOPS II #2
Writer: Kevin Smith
Artist: Ahmed Raafat
Letterer: Andrew Thomas
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: January 10, 2024
Previously in Quick Stops II: The salacious and sexy secret origin of Mooby the Golden Calf continues! When betrayal releases a bull in the metaphorical china shop of Nancy Goldruff’s marriage and burgeoning book deal, the unscrupulous Lyndsey Montigrave double-crosses the young creator, setting in motion an udderly dangerous consequence!
THE LITERAL CASH COW
The last issue of Quick Stops II #2 introduced us to Nancy Goldruff, the actual creator of Mooby, explaining the story of how she met and befriended Lyndsey Montigrave, the woman credited for the Golden Calf. What started as an attempt to cheer up Ms. Montigrave’s little boy turned into a full-scale media blitz, with a side order of menage a trois for Nancy, Lyndsey, and Nancy’s husband. After spending the summer of 1989 enjoying a storm of cocaine and perversity, things start to get weird. Nick takes a day off, ostensibly for a meeting with an animation company, only to sneak home at one a.m., having spent the remainder of the time with Lyndsey, alone. And when a heartbroken Nancy tries to tell her that the deal is off, Lyndsey…
Well, Lyndsey is a very evil woman.
HOLY MOLEY, THIS IS ADULT
Kevin Smith’s stories always have adult language and often have sexual situations, but this story is a step beyond. It’s appropriate that this story features Mooby, who first appeared in Dogma, the movie that eschews the wackiness of Jay and Silent Bob for graphic violence and a tiny bit of blasphemy. This story has Smith’s humor, as well as the always entertaining premise of an old lady reminding us that everyone was young once, but combined with Raafat’s art, it makes for a compelling narrative. Even without color, the visuals fairly leap off the page, and the creative layouts make it feel almost cinematic. One particularly lovely moment has our trio of main characters at the pool, only to transition to a dynamic shot of Lyndsey diving into the deep end from a point of view at the bottom. It’s not just well-drawn, it’s a great way to show the moment when Nancy realizes that her situation is getting far too deep to swim.
BOTTOM LINE: WORTH YOUR TIME
Even as a hardcore Smith fan, I felt that the first volume of this series went a little TOO esoteric in what stories were presented, but Quick Stops II #2 avoids that with a compelling narrative, a strong main character, and a story that doesn’t rely on knowledge of View Askew ephemera to land, earning 4 out of 5 stars overall. Whether you’re new to Smith’s work or you’ve been along for the ride since Dante tumbled out of the closet to answer his phone, this is a well-written, well-drawn comic book with a story you can enjoy and art that brings it all to (terrible backstabbing) life.
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QUICK STOPS II #2
The first Quick Stops series had moments that were almost TOO "Inside Baseball" even for a veteran View Askew fan, but this one is genuinely fascinating, well-drawn and full of twists and turns... and nudity.
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Writing8
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Art9
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Shading8
Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.