The Pull List: ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE Releases (Wednesday 20th April 2016)

ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE Releases: Wednesday 20th April 2016

Each week, we take a look at the forthcoming ACTION LAB DANGER ZONE COMICS titles, either in store or made available on the comiXology digital comics platform, giving you a comprehensive guide to your comics pull list.

So, we’ve had a week where this notoriously ‘mature readers only’ imprint took its foot off the throat of its readership and eased off the throttle a bit – Markisan Naso‘s VORACIOUS #3 doing a great job of dialling back on the blood and sinew while keeping with the adult themes. But seven days is a long time in comics… And now it’s only fair that we return to getting down with the sickness.

• First up, and it’s THE GINGERDEAD MAN #3, from writer Brockton McKinney and artists Sergio Rios and Marcelo Costa. You saw that title, right? You know that subtlety is not on the cards in this comic! One of the variants has original GINGERDEAD MAN movie voice talent Gary Friggin’ Busey on the cover! With a tidy line in cheesy puns and 80s schlock-horror tropes, this book will either leave you very cold or grinning from ear to ear. Like myself,, you may not be too familiar with the direct-to-video original flick so it’s best to take as the barometer for this as the most well-known movie of the genre: CHUCKY – and, if you dug that nasty piece of shit, you’ll understand exactly where THE GINGERDEAD MAN is coming from. And, indeed, where he ultimately ends up…!

• …speaking of possessed playthings, the last issue of CHARLES BAND’S PUPPET MASTER had our wooden antiheroes facing the rise of a new and particularly imposing threat, a demon god that has been manipulating the board, and the pieces on it, for some time. But our pint-sized protagonists aren’t going to just roll over and play dead like their strings have been cut – Shawn Gabborin has all the toys he needs to have a battle royale between this ugly sumvabitch, the puppets and Anthony, with Michela Da Sacco and Yann Perrelet indulging him with some pretty vivid rendering. A little over lit in scenes to invoke any real scares but it’s not so much about the shocks in this issue than the punch-up. And the threat is further diffused by the fact that our new baddie looks like he’s made from Silly Putty, however big he may be…

• …yay, it’s ZOMBIE TRAMP, the comics dictionary definition of ‘For Mature Readers’ and as gratuitous as its gets. There’s boobs and blood, slime and swears, left, right and centre and it’s not for the liberal sensibilities. That doesn’t mean it’s not a rollicking read and damn good fun though… Well, perhaps not this issue. Here in issue #22, Dan Mendoza ups the tension and the threat, with Janey being very much hung, drawn and quartered when faced with the bastard that set her on her path to be an undead floozy. Still, ‘never make it easy for your heroes’, said my drama teacher – and it’s going to take something very special to get out of this predicament. (A clue: the ‘something special’ is right there on the cover!) Strong artwork from TMChu, except in the flashback scenes, oddly enough, like it wasn’t something that particularly interested him, making for a inconsistant read. A shame – I could’ve right gotten into this, otherwise…

• …and, to wrap things up, a trade collection of a series that only came to a close a few weeks back and, like I said back then, it was inevitable that KINGDOM BUM would be collected into one big, juicy saga. And a saga it is – very much writ large by Adam Wollet and Rick Marshall, with comparisons being drawn to GAME OF THRONES but I read it with a more contemporary touchstone of THE WANDERERS – equally as bloody but with an urban twist. The artistic powerhouse of Jon Reed and Jen Hickman know exactly how to push all the right buttons with a controlled pacing and a muted palette throughout but punctuated with confident pops of colours and dramatic use of space in the panels. Hmmm, maybe that GAME OF THRONES reference holds some water after all…

So, there you have it: four books that quite simply don’t piss around and not intending to trouble an Eisner Award nomination slip any time soon – just the way Action Lab Danger Zone like it. These titles are on the shelves, nicely out of reach from the kiddiewinks in comic books shops this Wednesday – if you’ve got the stomach and the sensibilities for it, I can only recommend that you give them a spin.

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MONTHLY ISSUES

THE GINGERDEAD MAN #3

Writer: Brockton McKinney
Artist: Sergio Rios
Cover Artist: Sergio Rios and Marcelo Costa

Variant Cover: Dan Mendoza / Photo Cover: Gary Busey

“There is a new designer drug on the streets, and it’s called Confection! It’s so powerful that it has to be baked into a culinary treat, and the abandoned Betty’s Bakery has been taken over by a gang of drug dealers! But by using a leftover box of seasoning containing the remaining ashes of Millard Findlemeyer, the gang has unwittingly unleashed that cookie of doom: GINGERDEAD MAN!

With his Mini-Ginger army and his faithful steed GingerDragon, the Gingedead Man looks to be an unstoppable biscuit of the cookiepocalypse. But his now-nemesis Kayla isn’t giving up so easily and she believes that some times that you have to throw out a bad batch! The final issue in the Baking Bad saga concludes HERE!

Notes: Variant Covers limited to 1,500 copies each!”

Comedy, Horror / English / M (18+) / 32 pages

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CHARLES BAND’S PUPPET MASTER #14

Writer: Shawn Gabborin
Artist / Cover Artists: Michela Da Sacco and Yann Perrelet

Variant Cover B: Andrew Mangum and Gene Jimenez
Variant Cover C (sketch): Andrew Mangum

“The Puppets face their toughest challenge to date: A demon god birthed from the blood on their own hands. And he hasn’t come alone. Anthony’s short reign as Puppet Master may be coming to a screeching halt.

Variant and variant sketch covers limited to 1,500 copies each.”

Horror / English / T+ (17+) / 32 pages

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ZOMBIE TRAMP #22

Writer: Dan Mendoza
Artist: TMChu
Cover Artist: TMChu

Variant Cover B ‘Risque’: TMChu
Variant Cover C ‘Action Figure’: Dan Mendoza
Variant Cover D ‘Action Figure Risque’: Dan Mendoza
Variant Cover E ‘Artist’: Daniel Arruda Massa
Variant Cover F ‘Artist Risque’: Daniel Arruda Massa

“At long last Zombie Tramp is reunited with Tyrone, the man who ruined her life. But Janey’s plans for revenge are slipping away, what with her being his prisoner, and with him planning to keep her soul as a trophy!! Now it’s up to her long lost mentor and friend, the twisted voodoo queen Xula, to save the day in Pimps, Ho’s, and Hocus Pocus part 2!

Features a risqué variant by TMChu, an “Action Figure” and risqué “Action Figure” variant cover by series creator Dan Mendoza, and regular and risqué artist variants by Daniel Arruda Massa (HOLY F*CKED).”

Horror, Zombie, Risque / English / T+ / 32 pages

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COLLECTED TRADE EDITIONS

KINGDOM BUM (TPB)

Writers: Adam Wollet and Rick Marshall
Artists: Jon Reed (art), Jen Hickman (colours), Adam Wollet (letters)
Cover Artists: Jon Reed and Jen Hickman

“It’s GAME OF THRONES with cardboard homes as this wild series brings an inner city’s hidden world to life in contemporary fantasy style! First Coast City’s homeless population is ruled by Philip “The Ax”-
a ruthless tyrant who hacks off the thumbs of any vagabond who dare oppose him.

Kingdom Bum’s only hope is Simon, an optimistic and resourceful hobo who is working from the inside to blunt the suffering of his fellow street-sleepers. Unfortunately, neither Simon or The Ax can predict the dark and sinister force that will be born from their inevitable battle – the rise of The Thumbless.“

Action, Adventure, Comedy / English / T+ / 128 pages

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