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DANGER GIRL: KAMIKAZE #1
Recommended (8/10)
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DC Comics/Cliffhanger imprint
Writer/Pencils: Tommy Yune
Inks: Vince Russell
Colors: Guy Major
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Scott Dunbier
Price: $2.95 US/$4.95 CAN |
Tommy Yune came into the industry with a splash with a Speed Racer mini-series that captured the goofy style of the cartoon as well as a cinematic action style that made for a light but fun read. Now he's applying those skills to Danger Girl, which is ideally suited to that kind
of style. This is cartoonish fun, with sexy girls, hot cars, exotic locations
and plenty of chases, martial arts and gunfights. Yune's artwork will be a treat
for anyone who enjoys good manga style artwork and cinematic pacing, and while
this book isn't likely to win any kind of awards for artistic merit, it's an
example of really fun comics.
With only two issues to play with, Yune doesn't waste any time with the setup. One page in, we know that there's a nuclear weapon in play, that Deuce has sent one of his less-than-field operatives into the field as a result, and that she's at a car trying to get it out of a heavily-secured trunk. Page three begins the action sequence. As the decompressed storytelling style of manga becomes more prevalent in American comics (witness the slow burn of Ultimate Spider-Man and Green Arrow, for instance), it's ironic that the
American manga-style artists are often picking up faster pacing, more like the
work that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby used to do. The result in this case is a book
that feels like a roller coaster, hitting the crest of the hill right at the
beginning and then plunging down for a ride that doesn't stop until the end.
The secret ingredient to Danger Girl has always been not sex or action, but
humor. A healthy blend of all three elements made the book a successful guilty
pleasure, and Yune has hit that balance well. Valerie's hapless performance in
the field, the comedically mistranslated Chinese subtitles, the gorgeous and
enigmatic femme fatale who is also after the nuke and one hell of an opening
chase sequence complete with grenade launchers and helicopters all combine to
make a read that grabs hold and keeps you watching. Yune's artwork, combined
with the colors of Guy Major, is gorgeous to behold and easy to read, and
putting the credits in the middle of the book gives the opening sequence a nice
James Bond movie feel.
What also impressed me is how accessible
the book is. The nature of the Danger Girl organization is set up by Valerie's
repeated mantra of "be a Danger Girl, Val" and Deuce's briefings and bossiness.
The basic personalities of spunky but somewhat gawkish Val, sexy adventurer
Abbey and "wild girl" Valerie are all established by their actions, and the
story is easy to follow, a combination of high-tech espionage and pulp serial
plot elements.
Yune makes the book a lot of fun with
little elements as well. The transforming gun/cellphone/computer of the female
spy, the high-tech equipment of the Danger Girls or the compelling visuals of
the enemies facing off with Abbey at the end all make for quite a visual
experience. And Yune's storytelling is flawless, action-packed and fun.
Email Randy Lander comments about this review. |
