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I’ll be honest. I’ve never read any Tank Girl comics before. I know who she is, I’ve heard the name, and I can picture the character in my head, but I’ve never read any of the comics. Titan Book’s new four issue mini-series starring Tank Girl was my very first exposure of the rude, cult punk character who struck popularity in the 1990s, and holy crap, what a great first impression Tank Girl has made on me.

Tank Girl: Bad Wind Rising #1

Publisher: Titan Books
Writer: Alan Martin
Artist: Rufus Dayglo
Cover: Rufus Dayglo

If you’re like me, and missed the Tank Girl ship that sailed 15 years ago, now is a great time to jump aboard. Though Tank Girl never really left the scene (Tank Girl: Skidmarks being her previous adventure), Bad Wind Rising is her latest title.

The story begins with Booga, Tank Girl’s mutant kangaroo boyfriend, holding up a post office to get money to buy some cereal, resulting in Tank Girl having to bail Booga out of the mess, all the while being watched by a creepy pair of lab coat wearing figures observing her every move. The story and the writing won’t be winning any awards, but, for me, that’s the beauty of it. This first issue is such a nice break from the typical high profile Disney or Warner Brothers superhero comics, and any deep narrative driven titles. Tank Girl is a raw, immoral joy ride with bad language, elicit recreational activities, and an appearance by a certain lawman that the 2000 AD fans will appreciate. Plus it’s just damn funny.

The action moves at an odd pace, and doesn’t follow any of your typical comic book writing rules, and the end is pretty anticlimactic, but it didn’t really matter to me. I was just enjoying the sophomoric silliness that was taking place, even if none of it made much sense.

Rufus Dayglo returns to art duties on Tank Girl, and his work is one of the highlights of the book. The coloring and design is just as alternative as the late 80s/early 90s punk roots that Tank Girl was spawned from, and is the absolute perfect match for the tone of the characters and settings of the Tank Girl world.

Obviously Tank Girl isn’t for everyone, especially the more sophisticated comic book readers, and is not a title you want in the hands of your young children; but anyone with a burning angst in their heart, looking for a hero who doesn’t wear a cape or preach truth and justice, this book is the one you’ve been waiting for. Tank Girl is just damn sexy, even if it is for all the wrong reasons. I enjoyed it so much because it’s that weird book that we need every now and then to pull us away from anything remotely normal, and help us appreciate the unconventional. I’m looking forward to whatever random garbage humor the next issue will hold.

Andrew Hurst
andrewhurst@comicattack.net