Mr. Amperduke and ABC Warriors vol. 4

Here's how this works: I finish reading something, and I tell you about it, and I try not to bore you to death.



For close to two years, the Judge Dredd Megazine included a "small press" spotlight feature, giving indie creators a shot at a wider audience. Most of its content was pretty good, but the best by far was a six-page story by Bob Byrne about a strange man named Mr. Amperduke, and the creepy goings-on in the little Lego village in his basement. So when the full Mr. Amperduke graphic novel was finished - 160 dense pages without dialogue, the story told in pictures and sound effects - I was on that sucker like a shot. I'm very pleased with it; it's a wild story of a mad insect let loose on the Lego village and the resulting carnage, while Mr. Amperduke tries to make his way back to help. It may not be for everyone, but the collision of "cute" and "grisly" probably has an audience among those of us who enjoy dark humor.

If you order this book through the link above, you not only get your copy autographed, but Byrne includes a panel from the original art. I've got the big mean bug with a rocket trail above its head!



This is the fourth collection of ABC Warriors, reprinting a tale from the mid-90s. It honestly works better than some of these tales, which are often a little continuity-heavy, as a stand-alone story, a really imaginative science fiction epic with the robot soldiers once again warring against human oppression, using wild ideas and inventive plot twists to thrill readers. I actually like this one a lot better than the previous volume. Amusing characters, wild plots, beautiful painted art by Kevin Walker... what's not to like? Recommended even for readers who've never read the Warriors before.

(Originally posted April 16, 2008 at hipsterdad's LJ.)