Pastrami Comic Review: Ballistic #1
Review by Nolan P. Smith-Pastrami Nation
Writer: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Artist: Darick Robertson
Publisher: Black Mask Studios
Released: July 2013
Website: http://blackmaskstudios.com
FOR MATURE READERS
A demon infested future with winged cars, talking guns, cloned human meat on the menu, and drugged out people doing eight balls of Syphilis: sound crazy enough for you? Welcome to a crazy little comic book known as Ballistic.
From film maker/writer Adam Egypt Mortimer and artist Darick Robertson (The Boys), Ballistic is a science fiction mind jump, and that is a great thing to be. The universe this world is set in is so different, so dark yet twisted with humor, it’s addicting from the first page. Our hero of the book is HVAC Technician Butch, armed with his talking gun Bang Bang. Yes, I said talking gun, and not talking as in a polite, Jarvis like manner. Oh no, total opposite; this demonic looking firearm has a mouth on him, all right!
The book follows Butch as he gets crossed by one of the big cartels, and his plans to make a clean break. Of course, in such a weird ass world, nothing is that simple, and this issue shows it. Mortimer carves a new niche in the science fiction genre, and by the end of issue one, we are all kind of rooting for the loser of a hero that is Butch. Robertson brings his explosive, violence-laced artwork to life once again, showing why he is consistently one of the best in the business. Plenty of blood is splattered here folks: makes me miss his days of working on the comic series, The Boys.
By the end of the first issue, I was hooked. I want to know what happens to Butch, and I want to see more of this hellhole of a world. This book pulls no punches, so squeamish readers steer clear. For the rest of us who are ready to dive into a demonic sci-fi blood fest, or those who just want to read something different, Ballistic is the book you’ve been looking for. Highly recommended, I give Ballistic #1 a solid FOUR out of FIVE. A great start to a new sci-fi epic for 2013.