By: Joe Casey (writer), Mike Huddleston (art & colors) and Rus Wooton (letters)
The Story: Butcher Baker is a retired superhero that is brought out of retirement for a final mission.
What’s Good: Well, if you like your comics to be different and unafraid to push the limits, you’re going to enjoy this a LOT. It’s a little hard to explain what was cool about this comic without giving a SPOILER WARNING… so…
This comic hits you right from the first page where we see Dick Cheney and Jay Leno entering a house that has a sculpted erect penis for a door-pull to convince a retired superhero to come out of retirement for one final mission. The superhero is the titular Butcher Baker and he is enjoying a “Charlie Sheen retirement” as the first splash shows him lounging on a sofa-throne with 3 naked women and little panels showing (a) an empty shot glass, (b) lines of cocaine, (c) a mostly empty tube of Lube, (d) ripped open magnum condom wrappers and (e) a girl exhaling pot smoke.
Then Leno and Cheney hit BB with the mission. In this fictional world, the super-villains have all been locked up. [Perhaps this is why BB is retired?] But, the taxpayers and Congress are sick of paying to feed and house them in prison so they want BB to go into the prison and kill them all. When BB is still reluctant to leave his man-cave, Leno & Cheney give BB three hookers who they brought along and they conclude their negotiations with BB while he is having an orgy with the three new women.
And it just rolls from there. If that sounds like something you’ll want to read about, you’ll love the rest of the issue.
I wasn’t previously familiar with artist Mike Huddleston, but from looking online, he has a been around comics for quite some time. I hate to compare an established artist to a newer guy, but I thought his work looked a lot like Riley Rossmo (Proof, Cowboy Ninja Viking) in its very rough and emotional linework with monochromatic color treatments over the entire panel and things like dot-overlay added for shading in place. He also has a frenetic panel design that really suits the mood. He later switches to a great, mostly B&W style that reminded me of Scott Morse for a chase between BB’s semi truck and a local-yokel sheriff. It all made the issue kind of an artistic masterpiece.
What’s Not So Good: Well, there is the obvious “this-book-won’t-appeal-to-everyone” warning. But, I think the cover art makes it pretty clear what kind of comic is under the cover.
The only other warning light flashing in my brain as I was reading this is that Casey started this issue/series SO strong and in your face that it’ll be tough to maintain the tempo and shock value for months. I LOVED this first issue, but when I open issue #2 I’m going to be prepared for more shocking scenes and (a) they won’t hit me as hard when I’m expecting them and (b) it’ll still be hard to maintain the shock value of issue #1.
But, Casey is a talented writer, so I have faith.
Conclusion: One of the most in-your-face openings to a comic in the last couple of years. I LOVE comics that aren’t pulling any punches and that clearly have nobody suggesting that something be toned down a little bit. Great art.
Grade: A
-Dean Stell
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Filed under: Image Comics Tagged: | Butcher Baker The Righteous Make, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker #1, Butcher Baker the Righteous Maker #1 review, Dean Stell, Image, Joe Casey, Mike Huddleston, review, Rus Wooton
the art was a bit TOO frenetic, the things i disliked about the maxx i also dislike about this.
the man can draw no doubt, and i like his line art, but the mishmash of coloring and texture gets to be too much after a while.
the srt was a bit TOO frenetic, the things i disliked about the maxx i also dislike about this.
the man can draw no doubt, and i like his line art, but the mishmash of coloring and texture gets to be too much after a while.
great review, I wondered about that book might have to wait for the trade.
Hey Kai,
I’d go ahead and just find the issues. I don’t think the story on this one is going to be the main draw, but more watching the execution thereof.
But, to each his own.
Thanks for the kind words on the review. It’s a LOT easier to write decent reviews when the subject is something that stirs some passions.
Great series, Image is on a roll. The art was the best part, constantly changing to fit the scene and mood. The character is interesting and I can’t wait to see what the overarching plot-line will be.
Hey Tony,
Glad you enjoyed it too. I think this will be a good one.