Oh, Killstrike #1 (of 4)
Publisher: BOOM!
Writer: Max Bemis
Artist: Logan Faerber & Juan Manuel Tumburús
Cover: Logan Faerber
It took several minutes for the laughing to stop after finishing reading Oh, Killstrike because it’s just THAT good! When Jared finds out that one of his quintessentially bad 90’s comics is worth a large sum he’s off to his mother’s house to snatch it out of storage. But nothing is just that simple because for some reason the book’s title character, Killstrike, ends up emerging from the pages of the comic! Complete with attitude, big gun, multiple knives, grenade necklace, pouches, and an anatomy that should make it impossible for this guy to walk. He also craves vengeance. A lot of it, and for whatever reason he won’t go back until Jared let’s him fulfill this mission. So many hilarious moments later a deal is struck and the two are off. Let the hilarity ensue!
Bemis nails it in this first issue by making sure that it’s just plain fun! Now, this story is not a slight at the comics of the 90’s but more of a tongue-in-cheek approach that many of the fans who grew up reading those books express when talking about that era. When he has Jared give his simplified comics history speech to his wife it’s reminiscent of all the fanboy conversations we’ve heard over the years and it’s great. But Oh, Killstrike isn’t just about jokes and remembering the 90’s as Bemis injects some heart into the story as he expands on Jared’s station as a husband and father. He lets you know that this is serious territory but doesn’t shift the tone of the story in a way that takes you out of the fun.
Faerber and Tumburús’ visuals just seal the deal with Oh, Killstrike making it a comic that looks as good as it reads. From Killstrike’s character design to the main story it’s a solid viewing from panel to panel. The caricature-like characters are great and the style lends itself perfectly to our story here. There’s also a lot of detail in the art that keeps your eye moving along and let’s not forget how huge Killstrike is and that he usually fills up most panels. The guy is HUGE!
Oh, Killstrike is a clear choice for anyone who grew up reading comics in the 90’s and developed that love/hate/cynical relationship with the era. There’s also something for those of you that may not have and only heard rumblings about 90’s comics. Either way you’d do yourself a disservice by missing out and with Jared and Killstrike headed to Manhattan next issue things can only get better!
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