Review: Uncanny Skullkickers #1

Uncanny Skullkickers is writer Jim Zub’s way of poking fun at the comic industry’s constant reboot/ /relaunch/reimagining mentality. He and artist Edwin Huang give Skullkickers exactly what it was missing: adjectives. All joking aside, Uncanny Skullkickers #1/Skullkickers #19 is the start of the fourth arc of this hilarious, action-packed fantasy story, and is an issue not to be missed.

The first few pages are a recap to bring new readers up to speed. They quickly mention all the characters, how they’ve met, and how they’ve came to be in their current predicament. Rex (formerly known as Baldy) and Kusia wash up on a tropical island after the events that occurred on the Mermaid’s Bottom. Readers can even keep up with Shorty, the dwarf, as his much less exciting story is told in a panel on the bottom of every page. Kusia and Rex must find the necessities of food and shelter after arriving on the island, and the two go about it in very different ways. After a turtle attack and some further exploration, they duo come face to face with some other inhabitants of the island: horned apes!

Jim Zub consistently creates one of the funniest and most enjoyable stories in comics. Skullkickers never fails to leave a big, goofy grin on the face of many readers, myself included. It’s the blend of comedy, fantasy, and action, along with a great story and fun characters that help set this book apart as something special. With the end of the last arc, things took a dire turn as Shorty was shown to be dead. That continues in this issue, and it seems that Zub may be making it permanent.

Edwin Huang’s art is great for the series. His style is reminiscent of many cartoons, which perfectly plays up the series’ high adventure and action roots. His ability to give the characters easily recognizable facial expressions, from joy to the look on everyone’s face when they barf, helps make the characters a large part of the story, when they could easily be overshadowed by the action of the book.

Uncanny Skullkickers is new while still being the same series. It’s a new direction with all the old charm and magic. It’s a great jumping on point for new readers and an issue that old readers will thoroughly enjoy.

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