Deliciously depraved... that's the best I can do in my effort to describe this concluding issue of Two-Step. In the past, I've criticized some comic art and on occasion some writing as being gratuitous, and therefore distracting, appealing to a lower common denominator. Well, the story and art throughout this comic book is completely gratuitous, and gloriously so. Ellis has a reputation for sometimes going over the top to challenge and entertain his audience, but this is more raunchy and twisted than anything we saw in Transmetropolitan. It just doesn't carry with it a deeper message. And that's fine. When the pacing and insanity are this funny, relevance isn't a requisite.
Slimebag Reg Quarry is pissed. Zen gangster Tony Ling has intercepted his specially ordered penis and handed it over to a criminal rival. Quarry decides that someone -- namely, Tony and his cohort in adventure, camgirl Rosi -- must pay for this transgression, and he assigns an unusual fellow named Ron to mete out the punishment. It seems the rather bulky Ron is a randy devil, always ready for a shag. And what turns him on is cars. Not sex in cars, but sex with cars. As that annoying little kid in the Mazda commercials says... "Zoom, zoom."
Conner does an amazing job of bringing this filthy, madcap story to life. The page two/three splash is stunning, depicting a moment of wonderfully choreographed action. The raunchy quality of the some of the characters here reminds me of Conner's work on Garth Ennis's The Pro. She handles over-the-top comedy incredibly well, and she doesn't hold back. The background detail is meticulous as well. Paul Mounts merits special mention here for his work on this issue as well. He adds a wonderfully repulsive level of detail to Ron's skin, and he adds energy and intensity to an already frenzied and fun comic.
"I'm Ron. I shag stuff. Until it goes boom. "I hate him so much I can taste it in my womb." "You got a slutty slutty carburettor." Ellis fills this book with the most outrageous and entertaining dialogue that I can't help but find them thoroughly quotable (in the right company, of course).
What's most surprising about this book is the denouement, in which the true nature of the plot is revealed. After all of the carnage, cursing and carnality, Two-Step is actually about a courtship. It turns out it's a love story, about how two people ended up making each other's fantasies come true. Don't misunderstand me, though. This isn't the fucking Bridges of Madison County. This is love in the time of porno and CNN.
