COMICS: SuperF*ckers

Skipped a couple days posting again. Rats. But hey, I won $13 in poker Thursday night, so -- the hell with you all! I'm rich, bitch!

Wait, no I'm not.



So, a brief note on James Kochalka's SuperF*ckers, which is the one comic I've read so far from this week's haul. First of all, how can you not talk about the price? It's a slick package, full color, nice paper -- but seven bucks is seven bucks, dude. I couldn't even buy two issues with my copious poker winnings! $7 is way too steep for a single issue of an ongoing series, however nice the package is.

Above and beyond the damage to my bank account -- which I was more than willing to pay, I have to say, because I do enjoy Kochalka's work -- I was disappointed overall. Exploring dysfunctional and vulgar superheroes is kind of like tackling the "dark side of suburbia" in movies or TV. It's been done to death, so any new take had better bring a lot to the table. And SuperF*ckers didn't strike me as having done so. It felt strongly reminiscent of Milligan and Allred's X-Force/X-Statix, but even sillier and with actual swear words. Superheroes who don't get along, who care about being popular, who are more interested in drugs and sex than fighting crime... even the freaky Grotus creature just brings to mind X-Force's Doop.

There were some good laughs throughout; Kochalka's cartoony style is always appealing, and it's nice to see it in full, glossy color. And I've no doubt I will get the next issue, because any level of successful humor in comics is pretty much a must-buy for me. I just expected so much out of it, from Kochalka's rep and from the mostly-glowing reviews I've read; it was a matter of expectations too high to meet.

All right, I've made my point. Let's wrap this up, because I'm at Ian Brill's house, and he is inebriated, although don't let him know that I told you. Mixed Bag CD reviews tomorrow (fingers crossed).