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HATE ANNUAL #2
Mildly Recommended (6/10)
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Fantagraphics Books
"A-Rod Goes to the Moon" & "The Gaggle and the Gimp!"
plus illustrated essays
Writer/Artist: Peter Bagge
Colors: Joanne Bagge, Peter Bagge & Rhea Patton
Editor: Kim Thompson
Price: $4.95 US/$7.50 CAN |
I'm new to the work of Peter Bagge. Oh, I've heard raves about his work on Hate, but I never got around to checking it out. I really wasn't sure if it was my cup o' tea. Well, his recent satirical one-shot for Marvel Comics -- The Megalomaniacal Spider-Man -- was funny and thought-provoking, and as luck would have it, Fantagraphics sent along this comic book, released a few months ago, for review. I see some of the same biting criticism of the world around us in this book, but some of it doesn't quite come together for me as I might have hoped.
Budy Bradley babysits for two moms who need some time to themselves, and it proves to me far more work than he ever expected (but not as much as it should be). Lobey and her friends encounter a dirty old man at an upscale party, but there's something about him that keeps them interested in the wrinkled weirdo... namely, his wheelchair. And on top of those two stories, Bagge offers up some illutrated essays, exploring the Beach Boys, Indianapolis 2000 and the much maligned institution of Miss America.
Bagge's weird, uber-exaggerated is something of an acquired taste, I suppose. There was a time when it did little for me, but I've recently begun to see the appeal. The simplicity of his character designs -- not to mentioned the simple tone of the dialogue -- points to the ridiculous nature of our everyday lives, a notion that Bagge explores in his stories. The contrast between the simple visuals and the greater substance that lies within the script achieves an odd but entertaining effect.
America is the land that gave us the notion/quote that "it takes a village to raise a child," but Bagge points out just how modern Western society seems to have abdicated that responsibility. But I found the story that ends the issue -- featuring the insecure but angry Lovey -- to be far more entertaining. On the surface, it's a low-brow story about dim-witted women and a dirty old man, but in reality, it's about prejudice. The girls are so determined to be impressed with the old man due to his station in life and his disability, they really don't see him for what he is: an asshole. It's political correctness at its worst, presented in a politically incorrect way.
My problem with those two stories, though, stems from the pacing. Bagge seems to be in a rush to make his point, so much, that the satire never really gets the deeper exploration it deserves. There's an almost frenetic quality to the storytelling.
While the comic stories explores American culture and attitudes, Bagge's essays explores American pop culture. He and the other essay writer(s) (authorship of the Beach Boys pieces isn't entirely clear) take the readers into the surreal worlds of beauty pageants, Mike Love and stock-car racing. This sort of Rolling Stone-esque entertainment feature writing isn't my sort of thing, though.
Note: This comic book was not among this week's new releases.
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