Writers: Gerry Duggan & Brian Posehn
Artist: Rick Remender
Publisher: Image
Price: $2.99
Rick Remender is a busy man. He kicked off a slew of new titles last year including Night Mary, Strange Girl and Fear Agent, most of which have met with positive response from fans and critics. When this advance review arrived on my, somewhat metaphorical, desk and his name was on the front I automatically assumed he was writing. Apparently not, it appears Remender also draws - who’d have thunk it? Not me apparently. He is joined on The Last Christmas by screen writer Gerry Duggan and comedian Brian Posehn, who take on writing duties.
The Last Christmas is set in a near future where war has left the world polluted by nuclear fallout and the survivors terrorised by mutant marauders. It’s a comedy by the way, in case it wasn’t clear from that description. The premise being that the last hope for salvation in this world is non other than Santa Claus.
This first issue is mostly set up, with the first 7 pages being an introduction to the setting as sung by Gary the Snowman. That there should tell you what kind of humour we’re dealing with here. It’s the kind of crazy off the wall stuff you’d expect to see on Adult Swim. If that doesn’t appeal to you then you won’t like The Last Christmas. If it does then get on board because it’s been done very well here.
Santa’s home is attacked while he is out keeping Christmas alive in post-apocalyptic Earth. When he returns he finds the majority of his elves and Mrs. Claus murdered, and the workshop ablaze. There are a couple of funny riffs on movies during this sequence. One when Santa gifts a baseball bat to a boy whose home is being invaded by zombies and tells him to ‘Swing away!’ Another when Santa is placed inside a dead reindeer when he is injured because the elves ‘saw it in a film’.
Obviously what will follow in the rest of the series is a bloody revenge spree, but the latter half of this issue deals instead with Santa’s descent into alcoholism, despair and repeated attempts at suicide. As I mentioned the humour here is irreverent, and this is apparent in the methods of suicide: jumping from a flying sleigh; setting himself on fire; hanging himself with strings of fairy lights. The art by Remender suits the mood of the humour well. It’s a very cartoonish style, with bright colouring and heavy outline inking, but it’s done with a surprising degree of detail and it works extremely well.
The Last Christmas cuts a similar path to Battle Pope. It takes a familiar character, places them in an alien and potentially comical situation and then allows the antics to ensue. On the basis of this first issue, I’d say that it does it very well. There are suitable number of visual, situational and referential gags, none of which seem forced, and all of it is supported well by strong art. It’s a promising start and I look forward to seeing where it gets taken.
Having recently finished a PhD in Immunology Ross is currently working for a UK biotech company. He lives in Cambridge where he reads comics, spends too much money on music and attempts to learn Portuguese. He owns at least 7 lightsabers, yet still manages to have a very attractive girlfriend who he misses very much, thus proving anything really is possible.