Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle Reviews

Random Acts Of Violence GNRandom Acts Of Violence GN
Image Comics
Palmiotti, Gray, Caracuzzo & Mounts

Palmiotti and Gray's latest original graphic novel hit stores this week and delivers a complete 60+ page story in the trade paperback format rather than a mini series of singles. However, it's not the format that's important, but the story. Palmiotti and Gray deliver perhaps the best collaboration to date and if you have followed their run on Jonah Hex or their minis like Last Resort you know that's saying something. The comic has the appearance of another horror-thriller, especially based on the cover, but the story delivers much more because of how well the characters are written. This is definitely something to check into if you like satire mixed with some gore and a good comic book reader hook.

Brandon Borzelli's Geek Goggle ReviewsEzra and Todd create a comic book called Slasherman. It's a look at killing made into art. It seems gory and edgy, but the duo are nervous about how it will do as the release date nears. The comic's first issue is a hit. Ezra and Todd are taken on a whirlwind tour to do signings as subsequent printings and issue begin to ship. Their popularity soars.

However, a contest they advertise in the back of their comic about having readers send in their best slasher story ends up turning readers into real-life serial killers. A misprint has folks thinking they need to show, not tell, their best killing story. This launches Ezra and Todd into the dark of the real world while still mixing it up with their fans, some of which are fairly delusional. Kathy, Todd's girlfriend, ends up stuck in the middle.

The story is brilliant but it isn't even the best part of the comic book. What works best is the character development of Ezra and Todd. They interact like an old married couple as they bicker about anything and everything, but in a quick-witted way that will make you laugh often. The portrayal also provides some insight into the world of comic book creators as all of the stereotypes of fans, retailers and the media are hit on in a hysterical way. Whether you fall into the dude living in his mom's basement category or the fat, smelly comic book geek or the nerdy, rich forty year old fanboy you end up getting some face time in this story and it's perfect. The story is also peppered with references to Diamond, Newsarama and many other things that comic book readers are very familiar with.

Caracuzzo takes on an entirely different look in his artwork from his work on the Last Resort. You can even see from his sketches at the back of the book just how much he honed his craft for this series. The artwork depicts a much more realistic feel to the characters as it probably should since this book doesn't contain zombies. I found the art to be a terrific visual storytelling piece to the book. I felt the mood was set well and the action and reactions were spot on throughout the issue. This was an excellent effort by the art team.

This comic book may seem to be set at a steep price point, $7 retail, but the comic book is one of the best original graphic novels I've read in the last year. You get basically three full issues rolled into one with a story that is part horror, part satire, part mystery that has plenty of laughs with enough blood and guts to keep you honest. This was an excellent read that I recommend for anyone looking for something a little different from the usual set of spandex.

5 out of 5 Geek Goggles