Welcome to the latest installment of Preview Reviews. This is where we give advanced glimpses at some of the comics that will be coming out this Wednesday.
Here at Pop Culture Squad, we are decidedly Anti-Spoiler. We feel that ruining someone’s experience with something for the sake of getting a scoop or clicks is the wrong thing to do. Therefore, we have decided to publish this column, as necessary, with mostly spoiler-free reviews of upcoming issues. Hopefully, the information that we share with you will increase your excitement for this book.
This week we have a new series from Rick Remender and Lewis Larosa called The Scumbag from Image Comics.
You can find these books at your LCS on October 21, 2020.
The Scumbag#1
Image Comics
Written by Rick Remender
Art by Lewis Larosa
Colors by Moreno Dinisio
Letters by Rus Wooton
Cover Art by Larosa & Dinisio
Original Solicitation:
NEW ONGOING SERIES from the writer of DEADLY CLASS!
RICK REMENDER launches an all-new comedy espionage series, THE SCUMBAG-the story of Ernie Ray Clementine, a profane, illiterate, drug-addicted biker with a fifth-grade education. He’s the only thing standing between us and total Armageddon because this dummy accidentally received a power-imbuing serum, making him the world’s most powerful super spy.
This new ongoing series will feature a murderers’ row of all-star artistic talent rotating each issue. The first issue showcases the stunning work of LEWIS LaROSA, with subsequent chapters and covers by brilliant talents such as ANDREW ROBINSON, ERIC POWELL, TULA LOTAY, WES CRAIG, ROLAND BOSCHI, SIMONE DI MEO, MARGUERITE SAUVAGE, DUNCAN FEGREDO, YANICK PAQUETTE, MIKE McKONE, DAVE JOHNSON, MORENO DINISIO, and many more!
PCS Review:
The lead character in this book is a complete scumbag. He is damaged and unrepentantly atavistic. There is a tiny glimmer of pity that the reader can feel for this character, but even that empathy comes with heavy dose of guilt. Rick Remender does an excellent job of giving the reader no reason to root for this character other than the fate of the world is in his hands. The series looks to be off to a fast start with the storytelling in this issue.
The art by Lewis Larosa and Moreno Dinisio is incredibly dynamic. There is a Rube Goldberg machine feel to the visual narrative in this book. While most of the book is not filled with action sequences, the reader gets the feel of constant movement, with each panel leading forcefully to the next. The rough edged and over-the-top look to the characters in this issue is a perfect choice for the tone of the book.
While this is billed as a comedy, and there are some ironically humorous moments, it is truly a window into the depths that people will fall and what they will do when they hit rock bottom. This is a well crafted tale with a good hook and definitely leaves you wanting to see what comes next.
