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Metalocalypse/Dethklok #1
Publisher: Dark Horse
Story By: Brendon Small and Jon Schnepp
Writer: Jeremy Barlow
Art: Lucas Marangon
Dethklok! Dethklok! Dethklok! Dethklok! (guitar and drum blare here)
Dark Horse over the years has tackled a number of fan favorite properties. Growing up I was addicted to their Star Wars, Godzilla, Alien vs. Predator and original The Mask comic book series. During the past few years, Dark Horse has re-grown on me by relaunching such properties as Solomon Kane, Kull, and now a few months ago rebooting Gold Key heroes Magnus and Dr. Solar. I could go on about how I love their reprints of classic comics like Flash Gordon and Casper, but this review is not about my love affair with Dark Horse over the years, or how I’m part of that first generation to grow up with Dark Horse. This review is about my nervousness with them creating a comic adaptation of a certain property that I fell in love with as I was graduating college a few years back, and that was a new Adult Swim show from Brendon Small, the creator of Home Movies, known as Metalocalypse.
It is an unusual property that has been successful because somehow at the same time it both pleases those who want to punch Hot Topic kids in the face, who view it as making fun of the metal scene they so hate, and pleases those who love the metal scene, who look at it as a hysterical homage to their hardcore life styles. The music plays a huge element in the show, and so without a soundtrack roaring in the background, could a comic book version really work? I’m going to say the answer is: yes.
Metalocalypse Dethklok issue #1 captures the hysterical humor of the TV show with the same quality writing by Jeremy Barlow. In a bizarre plot, created with show creator Small’s input, it may remind fans of such episodes as when Dethklok had to write the coffee jingle. Our plot here of the first issue is that Dethklok is releasing a new frozen dinner, fans start going on hunger strikes awaiting the dinner, then typical metal-madness comedy ensues. The violence is all here, the laughs are all here. The art by Marangon, who has been drawing Hellcyon at Dark Horse, looks and feels like the TV show and he does a great job with drawing the characters. The only thing that is missing as mentioned is that blaring Dethklok rock out playing in the background, but as we know that’s impossible to capture in a comic, so my complaint is not even a valid one, just something that I missed while reading the issue.
If you’re a fan, put your nerves to rest and buy the issue. If you have never seen the TV show, you will find it enjoyable if your sense of humor is on the darker side and you don’t mind some blood and vomit mixed in there. Pick it up on stands today!
Drew McCabe
drew@comicattack.net