I never finished reading the original Grrl Scouts, but having read the first couple issues and now the first issue of this new series, I think I've figured it out. Grrl Scouts is (and I hope Mahfood won't kick my ass for the comparison) like Archie if it took place on the street instead of in suburbia. There's an outrageous take on the realities of the culture, except that its sort of a 90s/post-millennial street hip-hop culture instead of the 1950s/Happy Days culture, and the problems that face the heroes largely exist to set up gags and word play, and to show off the characterization. What Grrl Scouts really has over the Archie comics, in addition to being aimed at an age-group closer to my own, is the art of Mahfood, which is always a lot of fun.
So the basic premise of Grrl Scouts, as I see it, is about three super-hot girls who sell drugs and live the street life, drinking and dancing and enjoying a few omelettes to stave off hangovers in the morning. It's so far from my experience that I can more easily relate to Star Wars, but Mahfood brings it to life with a likable feel. I mean, these girls are selling drugs, which is generally a bad thing, but they're peddling marijuana instead of harder drugs, and it's presented as not much different from the guy who buys beer for underage kids. It's not exactly morally upstanding, but it doesn't make them evil either.
Instead, the girls just come off as fairly self-involved and not all that bright, but they're still fun to read about. The over-the-top arguing and yelling they do at one another, and their personal quirks, whether it's in regards to food or their taste in guys or their predilection for violence, are always good for a laugh or two. In addition, Mahfood has set out pretty clearly that Grrl Scouts takes place in a world of fiction, as three drug dealers decide to find real work in light of their high-profile battle with a literally evil corporation.
What really gets my attention with Grrl Scouts, as with Stupid Comics and indeed much of the work Mahfood has done, is his art style. The backgrounds are packed with inside jokes or references to music and popular culture, and the basic look is unlike anything else out there. The closest comparison is to Mike Avon Oeming, especially when it's in color as it is on the cover, but Mahfood's lines are generally sharper and harsher than Oeming, as well as slightly more exaggerated. Mahfood also does a sort of manga approach exaggeration when characters are angry and surprised that carries over beyond the art and into the lettering, and really gives the work its energy.
Bottom line, Grrl Scouts is not really my thing in general. I don't have a real connection with these characters or much concern where their story takes them, but the book gives me a few laughs and plenty of visual enjoyment, and I'm always happy to see Mahfood's work.
