Uncanny Skullkickers #1

Written by: Jim Zub
Pencils: Edwin Huang
Colors: Misty Coats and Ross A. Campbell

If you are one of those people who are looking for more of a silly edge to your action adventure comics, i.e. Scott Pilgrim, Very Near Mint, Fanboys vs. Zombies, I have another one you can add to your collection.  Welcome to Skullkickers!  Oh I’m sorry this is the new Uncanny Skullkickers #1.  According to the cover if you add an adjective and a new “new” number one then it makes it better.  Apparently so, because Uncanny Skullkickers #1 is great!  As with the previous title Skullkickers (none Uncanny/none adjective) readers are treated to action, fun, humor and all around entertaining characters.  Uncanny Skullkickers proves that not all comics need to be dark and serious to be magnificent.

We open the book to a rehash of what we missed previously ya know the whole “Previously on Battlestar Galactica” only it is done in a much more clever manner than that.  The rehash caters to new readers so they have a great jumping on point while paying heed to what has already happened in comedic fashion to the past Skullkickers comic lore.  But easily the most entertaining aspect of the introduction is giving us a glimpse of a dwarf floating in the ocean.  I still chuckle thinking about it.

Our heroes Rex and Kusia wake up on a mysterious island(not that island) having no idea where they are.  This only builds a fun world for Jim Zub to entice our need for more entertainment.  And entertain he does!  Zub makes you laugh repeatedly throughout the entire issue.  Even if nothing funny happened during the story he always has something clever at the bottom of the page to make you laugh, and I can’t put into words how much I appreciate that.  I feel like laughs in comics are usually cheap and really have to try hard to make you laugh out loud (no, not LOL).  But Zub does it with ease!  He knows his characters, he knows his audience, and he does what he knows best and it works perfectly!

Edwin Huang’s artwork compliments the story with the keen strokes on fantasy while keeping it grounded enough for it be feasible.  If there was any other artwork on this I just don’t think it would work.  This is exactly what the doctor ordered.  I am usually a pretty tough critic seeing as I am normally in charge of reviewing anything and everything. I like to be honest with the readers and let them know if something really is worth the money.  This is definitely worth the money.  To be honest, so is Skullkickers #1 through #18, I’m pretty sure the series was even nominated for some awards by a few of our staff writers and these are guys that review hundreds of comics a month of all shapes and sizes!  But Edwin can’t take all the credit because the color artists (Misty Coats and Ross A. Campbell) are the ones that really make him look good.  The colors are simple, almost child like, but fit like the final puzzle piece for this fantasy adventure.

Well done Team Skullkickers, even with a new #1 you continue to impress me.