"Bee Vixens From Mars: Part One"
Writer: Alex de Campi
Artist: Chris Peterson
Colors: Nolan Woodard
October 2013
Darkhorse Comics
"Honey, we outta beer?" "How much she sting you for?" It's quotes like these that make this comic so great. Oh, and add to that the textual/visual irony and punnery that occurs on (almost) every page (from Jimmy claiming to be careful meanwhile getting himself into trouble, to the multiple honey references, to the oversexualization of the female characters). All of these seemingly poor choices (in terms of quality from a creative standpoint as well as the choices the characters make within the story) are what give this book its flare and appeal. I'm not the most well-versed person when it comes to the Grindhouse genre (modern throwbacks like Black Dynamite, Hobo With a Shotgun, and some of Robert Rodriguez's and Quentin Tarantino's films are what come to mind for me) but this book is a fantastic representation of the tastelessness and exploitation that I've come to be familiar with of Grindhouse works.
I knew nothing of the creators involved with this book but decided to give it a look anyways (Francesco Francavilla doesn't really count since he only participated in the cover art). I tend to read into creators a bit more before trying something new to get a sense of whether I will dig their work or not but I decided to jump in sans being informed. I have to say that I'm thankful I gave this comic a chance. I knew from the opening page that it was a right fit for me. I'm normally a disliker of exploitation of women in comics (sorry to all of you masculinists) but this comic includes it simply to demonstrate how outrageous and vulgar it is. This IS Grindhouse as I know you're well aware of, so exploitation is a given component of what makes this book humourous. Throw in a lot of cheesy cliches (car drives to dark, spooky cemetery on a hilltop with a sign in the foreground that reads "NO TRESPASSING" for example) and you've got yourself a recipe for success.
I mean no disrespect, but the art by Peterson and Woodard is just okay. It works for the story but it lacks distinctive qualities that say, the likes of Fiona Staples, Greg Capullo, and Matt Kindt's art is characteristic of. It's by no means bad, but it's not memorable like the aforementioned artists' work is. Peterson's art looks too computer generated for my tastes. It's rather clean (in most cases) and doesn't look like it was drawn by pencil. I guess I like it rough! (fitting no?) On the positive side, Peterson has a knack for creating well established scenes as a means of telling the story through images. His choice of "camera" placement and POV are excellent and aid the script that de Campi wrote. I have no issues with his storytelling capabilities, I suppose I just don't identify with his style of artwork. On the other side of art, Woodard's colours are actually commendable. There are lots of purple and bluish hues used during the outdoor nighttime sequences mixed with bright reds and yellows giving the look a retro-ish feel.
Puns, cliches, nudity, gore, onomatopoeia. This is everything superhero books take seriously and everything Grindhouse doesn't. Check out Grindhouse: Doors Open At Midnight #1 if you could use a good laugh (and who couldn't?).
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