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Turncoat
Turncoat follows the story of Duke, the world's worst superhero assassin, and his constant battle with his ex-wife-and-rival assassin, Sharon. Duke is always one step behind Sharon, constantly missing out on the "big hit" that will set him for life. (It certainly doesn't help matters that he only ever seems to go up against D-list superheroes like "Bug-Boy" and "Freedom Fighter.") ...so when Duke receives a contract for the most famous superhero team in the world, he realizes his time has come. Not just to finally make the big hit, but to finally move on from his ex-wife. If only it were that simple. Turncoat is a collection of the entire six-issue run of the popular webcomic of the same name (www.turncoatcomic.com). Created by Ryan O'Sullivan and Plaid Klaus in 2014, despite the two of them never having met. Ryan is from London, England, and Klaus is from New York.
164 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2016
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Ryan O'Sullivan
60 books35 followersRyan O'Sullivan is a comic book writer from the North of England. Best known for original works such as A Dark Interlude, Fearscape, Void Trip, and Turncoat; Ryan has also written for licensed properties such as Dark Souls, Warhammer 40,000, and The Evil Within; as well as music industry professionals such as RZA of the Wutang Clan, Yungblud, and Abbey Road Studios. His original graphic novel, Fearscape, was one of only two comics selected for The Guardian newspaper's "Best Books of the Year 2019". He is one quarter of the White Noise comic-writer studio.
Ryan is also, alas, a fan of the favourite authors section on Goodreads which is due for deletion in September 2022. Fortunately, Ryan is a author, and can abuse his "about me" section to preserve his beloved feature thusly:
Vladimir Nabokov, Anton Chekhov, William Shakespeare, Stephen King, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, Inio Asano, Michael Haneke, Arthur Miller, Kurt Busiek, Alan Moore, Francesco Petrarch, Charles Bukowski, Cormac McCarthy, Ottessa Moshfegh, Halle Butler, Brian K. Vaughan, Ivan Turgenev, Sharon Olds, Émile Zola, Joe Abercrombie, Terry Pratchett
Ryan is also, alas, a fan of the favourite authors section on Goodreads which is due for deletion in September 2022. Fortunately, Ryan is a author, and can abuse his "about me" section to preserve his beloved feature thusly:
Vladimir Nabokov, Anton Chekhov, William Shakespeare, Stephen King, James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, Raymond Carver, Inio Asano, Michael Haneke, Arthur Miller, Kurt Busiek, Alan Moore, Francesco Petrarch, Charles Bukowski, Cormac McCarthy, Ottessa Moshfegh, Halle Butler, Brian K. Vaughan, Ivan Turgenev, Sharon Olds, Émile Zola, Joe Abercrombie, Terry Pratchett
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
September 11, 2020
A riff on superheroes. Duke is a terrible assassin of superheroes only he doesn't know it. He's being used as a pawn in a plan to eliminate superheroes from the earth. Somewhat amusing with some generic art and terrible costume designs.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2016
I’m not exactly what you could call a graphic novel connoisseur. When evaluating this review bear in mind that most of my experience dates back to when “comic books” cost 25-cents and were relegated to one shelf (and ONLY one) on a magazine rack near the checkout counter.
Every so often something will catch my eye and I decide to check it out...such was the case with Turncoat by Ryan O’Sullivan*. The cover drew me in and I thought, “Let’s see what the kids are up to these days.” I wasn’t disappointed.
Turncoat is a fun, original story that pokes fun at the superhero genre. A parody of the super-spy, flawless, Jason Bourne type of hero. You get the impression that Duke, the main character, is lucky to manage his shoelaces every morning much less be a world-class assassin.
The art, done in something of a classic cartoon style (closer to Dick Tracy than Batman:The Dark Knight Returns), fits the story perfectly; I love the idea of an assassin (Duke) with a bad combover - no idea why - it just struck me as hilarious. The visual style, while not particularly outstanding, is good. It does the story justice.
Lots of graphic violence done in a completely unrealistic, over-the-top way. In other words no one will be having nightmares from it any time soon. Turncoat is a little silly and doesn't take itself too seriously. That gives it a certain charm I really liked.
I enjoyed Turncoat. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different.
*I received this book from Netgalley
Every so often something will catch my eye and I decide to check it out...such was the case with Turncoat by Ryan O’Sullivan*. The cover drew me in and I thought, “Let’s see what the kids are up to these days.” I wasn’t disappointed.
Turncoat is a fun, original story that pokes fun at the superhero genre. A parody of the super-spy, flawless, Jason Bourne type of hero. You get the impression that Duke, the main character, is lucky to manage his shoelaces every morning much less be a world-class assassin.
The art, done in something of a classic cartoon style (closer to Dick Tracy than Batman:The Dark Knight Returns), fits the story perfectly; I love the idea of an assassin (Duke) with a bad combover - no idea why - it just struck me as hilarious. The visual style, while not particularly outstanding, is good. It does the story justice.
Lots of graphic violence done in a completely unrealistic, over-the-top way. In other words no one will be having nightmares from it any time soon. Turncoat is a little silly and doesn't take itself too seriously. That gives it a certain charm I really liked.
I enjoyed Turncoat. I would recommend it to anyone looking for something a little different.
*I received this book from Netgalley
February 7, 2017
*Digital review copy provided by NetGalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review or rating.
3.75
This one was hard to rate, it was interesting to read, but I wouldn't buy smth like that for myself. I am not saying it is bad, I did like it, I am saying it is definitely something different.
3.75
This one was hard to rate, it was interesting to read, but I wouldn't buy smth like that for myself. I am not saying it is bad, I did like it, I am saying it is definitely something different.
August 6, 2016
TURNCOAT is all about Duke, one of the superhero assassins who sucks at his job (but he doesn't know this). He is in constant battle with his ex-wife, who's also a rival assassin. When there's a contract for the most famous superhero team in the world, Duke believes this is his chance to make it big and to get over his ex-wife for good...
So can we please just talk about that cover?! We all learn to not judge a book by its cover, right? Well, in this case, please do. The cover of this comic is just perfection. It contains everything you need to know about the story, literally everything. It has some familiar looking superheroes (Ant-Man & Superman), a gun & the mask of the assassin, some take out en sig stubs to give you an idea about what kind of man Duke is. It just sets te tone for the whole story and I adore it.
When it comes to the art in this comic, the cover isn't the only good thing you're going to see. The first page of every chapter is pretty much the same as the cover: everything you need. It gives you loads of information about the story to come, without actually spoiling it. So good!
Superheroes are everywhere today thanks to Marvel and DC. We don't seem te get enough of them. Well, Duke's job is to keep te Superhero population under control. We don't need to many superheroes, now do we?
I personally think the storyline is very original. The execution of it is solid and consistent throughout this (pretty long!) comic. The story itself is actually complete. Every chapter is just strong and there wasn't a moment where I was bored or had enough or felt that there were plotholes. None! It has everything you love about superhero stories: actual superheroes, humor, "bad guys" & a mystery to solve. All superheroes in this comic are versions of the "big ones" that we've become familiar with: Batman, Superman, Ant-Man, the Black Widow, Flash... Oh yes, and did I mention PLOT TWIST! HA!
All in all, the best comic I've ever read. Recommended.
I received a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
So can we please just talk about that cover?! We all learn to not judge a book by its cover, right? Well, in this case, please do. The cover of this comic is just perfection. It contains everything you need to know about the story, literally everything. It has some familiar looking superheroes (Ant-Man & Superman), a gun & the mask of the assassin, some take out en sig stubs to give you an idea about what kind of man Duke is. It just sets te tone for the whole story and I adore it.
When it comes to the art in this comic, the cover isn't the only good thing you're going to see. The first page of every chapter is pretty much the same as the cover: everything you need. It gives you loads of information about the story to come, without actually spoiling it. So good!
Superheroes are everywhere today thanks to Marvel and DC. We don't seem te get enough of them. Well, Duke's job is to keep te Superhero population under control. We don't need to many superheroes, now do we?
I personally think the storyline is very original. The execution of it is solid and consistent throughout this (pretty long!) comic. The story itself is actually complete. Every chapter is just strong and there wasn't a moment where I was bored or had enough or felt that there were plotholes. None! It has everything you love about superhero stories: actual superheroes, humor, "bad guys" & a mystery to solve. All superheroes in this comic are versions of the "big ones" that we've become familiar with: Batman, Superman, Ant-Man, the Black Widow, Flash... Oh yes, and did I mention PLOT TWIST! HA!
All in all, the best comic I've ever read. Recommended.
I received a free copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
November 20, 2016
'Turncoat' by Ryan O'Sullivan with art by Plaid Klaus is a silly satire of the superhero genre with an inept protagonist just trying to get by.
Duke is an assassin, or so he likes to think. He works at an agency with Bernard, who gives him jobs to do. His ex-wife Sharon and son Timmy are now with his ex-best friend Ron. Duke's assassin jobs are to take out low level superheroes, to keep the population of heroes down. He is teamed up with a series of ridiculous supervillains to get the job done. My favorite of these was Scare Bear, a giant bear that likes to jump out and scare people. Things take a turn for the bad when a contract is put out on the big league superhero team.
The heroes in the book are parodies of Marvel and DC characters. It's easy to figure out who they are. Batman is a black knight in this book, and Superman is an alien from Andromeda who likes having lots of girlfriends. Duke is a sad sack character who is pretty clueless, and yet I found him likeable enough. There was a gag running about how other people could talk to Duke's dog, but Duke couldn't. It's one of the many very funny things in the book.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from T Pub, Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Duke is an assassin, or so he likes to think. He works at an agency with Bernard, who gives him jobs to do. His ex-wife Sharon and son Timmy are now with his ex-best friend Ron. Duke's assassin jobs are to take out low level superheroes, to keep the population of heroes down. He is teamed up with a series of ridiculous supervillains to get the job done. My favorite of these was Scare Bear, a giant bear that likes to jump out and scare people. Things take a turn for the bad when a contract is put out on the big league superhero team.
The heroes in the book are parodies of Marvel and DC characters. It's easy to figure out who they are. Batman is a black knight in this book, and Superman is an alien from Andromeda who likes having lots of girlfriends. Duke is a sad sack character who is pretty clueless, and yet I found him likeable enough. There was a gag running about how other people could talk to Duke's dog, but Duke couldn't. It's one of the many very funny things in the book.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from T Pub, Diamond Book Distributors and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
August 17, 2016
This is an interesting take on the superhero world. The premise is that there is a group of hitman who take out superheroes. They aren't the usual bad-guys. They are doing this because they are being paid to do this. The story follows one not-so-good-guy who takes out superheroes, or tries to. He is not really all that good at his job.
This story has a lot of twists and turns as we try to find out who is calling in these hits on the superheroes and why. If you are familiar with superhero comic books, than this would be an interesting turn on them, seen from the other side. Both Marvel and DC heroes are thinly masked here, as we have The Savior (Superman) , The Black Prince (Batman), and Bugboy (Spiderman).
This is firmly for adults, or mature teenagers, as there is a lot of blood and guts.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
This story has a lot of twists and turns as we try to find out who is calling in these hits on the superheroes and why. If you are familiar with superhero comic books, than this would be an interesting turn on them, seen from the other side. Both Marvel and DC heroes are thinly masked here, as we have The Savior (Superman) , The Black Prince (Batman), and Bugboy (Spiderman).
This is firmly for adults, or mature teenagers, as there is a lot of blood and guts.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
August 1, 2016
Book – Turncoat
Author – Ryan O'Sullivan
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 164
Cover – So Cool.
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
I love a good superhero/supervillain story and this was no exception. With incredible graphics and a main character that you loved to hate, it had everything going for it. Great, realistic dialogue, a beautifully overexaggerated storyline that made fun of superhero stories, while staying true to the genre, as well as having a kickass twist at the end.
I loved everything about it.
Author – Ryan O'Sullivan
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 164
Cover – So Cool.
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
I love a good superhero/supervillain story and this was no exception. With incredible graphics and a main character that you loved to hate, it had everything going for it. Great, realistic dialogue, a beautifully overexaggerated storyline that made fun of superhero stories, while staying true to the genre, as well as having a kickass twist at the end.
I loved everything about it.
August 29, 2016
Turncoat is a somewhat humoristic riff of some of our most well known superheroes. They are not exactly mentioned by name in this comic, but it isn’t hard to find characters that resemble Batman, Superman etc. This story is about a man called Duke, he’s part of a group of superhero assassins. Duke however really sucks at his job, but being completely unaware of this, he sets out to kill one of the biggest superheroes in the world. Kind of makes up for a great plot there.
This comic has a lot of humor to it, but at the same time you can’t really say that the art is particularly “child friendly”. There is a lot of blood and a lot of splasher-like deaths and injuries pictured here, still done in a comic way though so no need to be grossed out.
I think the art it amazing, not to mention the wonderful cover, and the plot is original and fun. The characters are well developed and you will find loads of twists and turns you probably didn’t see coming. This comic has everything a comic need and all pieces are placed exactly in the right spot.
There isn’t a chance one would get bored reading this, so..read it!
This comic has a lot of humor to it, but at the same time you can’t really say that the art is particularly “child friendly”. There is a lot of blood and a lot of splasher-like deaths and injuries pictured here, still done in a comic way though so no need to be grossed out.
I think the art it amazing, not to mention the wonderful cover, and the plot is original and fun. The characters are well developed and you will find loads of twists and turns you probably didn’t see coming. This comic has everything a comic need and all pieces are placed exactly in the right spot.
There isn’t a chance one would get bored reading this, so..read it!
September 12, 2016
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It is well constructed with a strong beginning, middle, and end. The beginning hooks you right away with a great action sequence and a little surprise, leaving you wanting more. The middle gives you some answers, creates more questions, and offers some interesting (if somewhat limited) character development. And the ending is just perfection in every way. It brings together all of the character and plot developments and ties them up in a nice, satisfying bow. Many superhero cliches were delivered in a very tongue-in-cheek way and the comedy throughout the novel was well presented. Overall, it was just fun to read.
October 17, 2016
I received a free copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a funny twist on the usual superhero comic book. Duke is an assassin (a bad one) who is paid to take out superheroes. He goes through several assistants, each with their own catchphrases and gimmicks. I enjoyed the sarcasm and how the author poked fun at traditional superhero stories. I'm definitely interested in continuing the story with Duke's new position in the world of superheroes and villains.
I would recommend this to older readers, as the language and humor may be inappropriate for kids.
I thought this was a funny twist on the usual superhero comic book. Duke is an assassin (a bad one) who is paid to take out superheroes. He goes through several assistants, each with their own catchphrases and gimmicks. I enjoyed the sarcasm and how the author poked fun at traditional superhero stories. I'm definitely interested in continuing the story with Duke's new position in the world of superheroes and villains.
I would recommend this to older readers, as the language and humor may be inappropriate for kids.
October 24, 2016
In Turncoat, you are entering a world filled with superheroes (think a warped DC universe). In this world wanders Duke, an assassin of superheroes (well, he tries to be) who seemingly is always loosing out to his ex-wife in regard to his hits. And he keeps loosing his partners. To accidents. Then he, his partners, and his ex-wife get sucked into a nefarious plot to destroy all superheroes! What is poor Duke to do? Well, he muddles and mucks his way to wry twisted ending (that I will not reveal since that would spoil the whole plot). Do enjoy this book with is mix of DC silliness, Watchman grimness, and Harley Quinn fun!
September 3, 2016
I received this e-comic from Netgalley in enchange for an honest review.
I have to admit I didn't imagine this being so funny because I didn't expect it to be a satire on comics themselves.
Actual rating: 4.5.
Una parodia del mundo del cómic ¡en formato de cómic! Muy original.
En realidad son 4,5 estrellas
Complete bilingual review on my blog (Reseña bilingüe completa en mi blog): http://aleph1984.blogspot.com.ar/2016...
I have to admit I didn't imagine this being so funny because I didn't expect it to be a satire on comics themselves.
Actual rating: 4.5.
Una parodia del mundo del cómic ¡en formato de cómic! Muy original.
En realidad son 4,5 estrellas
Complete bilingual review on my blog (Reseña bilingüe completa en mi blog): http://aleph1984.blogspot.com.ar/2016...
September 18, 2016
Might not be really worth four stars, but I felt generous to this book, as it was quite a witty pastiche of the battles super-characters are forever getting themselves wrapped up in. Some very broad piss-takes and a general, more swooping sense of satire both made this a light-hearted title of some note. I didn't find the illustrations to be that great – is Sharon in her pyjamas supposed to be an outright munter?! – but it's breezy and cutting enough, so gets the nod from me.
November 3, 2016
What a fun book - I enjoyed every minute of reading.
An unusual story of an incompetent superhero, with a complicated home life, great fun.
I would love to see this as a film if no one has already thought of it!
Highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Diamond Book Distributors via Netgalley
in return for an honest unbiased review.
An unusual story of an incompetent superhero, with a complicated home life, great fun.
I would love to see this as a film if no one has already thought of it!
Highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Diamond Book Distributors via Netgalley
in return for an honest unbiased review.
August 16, 2016
I backed the hardcover release of this on Kickstarter, but it is available as a webcomic also, I just tend not to like comics in that format.
I really enjoyed this book, it's pulpy, it's fun, it's fast-paced and there's plenty of little jabs at mainstream superhero comics in there.
I really enjoyed this book, it's pulpy, it's fun, it's fast-paced and there's plenty of little jabs at mainstream superhero comics in there.
February 7, 2017
One of the funniest things I've ever read. Had me laughing out loud from the first few panels.
This is one of the reviews on the back cover and I think it sums it up perfectly:
"The absurdity of superheroes laid bare through the lens of Monty Python."
This is one of the reviews on the back cover and I think it sums it up perfectly:
"The absurdity of superheroes laid bare through the lens of Monty Python."
August 21, 2016
Acquired this as a hardcover copy through the Kickstarter campaign on a friend's recommendation. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Quirky take on superheroes and highly entertaining. Would recommend.
February 7, 2017
Not a book I would have normally picked up, but amazing nevertheless. This came free in last months Geek Box and was totally worth it. It's a great story and would definitely recommend it.
March 21, 2017
Turncoat is not your traditional superhero graphic novel. Duke is a superhero assassin. He’s the world’s worst superhero assassin, a fact that is lost on him because on every contract he is sent out on, those superheroes end up dead. He’s never the one that kills them though. His partner ends up doing the killing and Duke gets the credit. (And his partner usually ends up dead as well).
The company that Duke works with keeps pairing him up with weird loser partners and also only gives his contracts to kill D-list superheroes. Who wants to be known as the assassin who killed Bug-Boy or Freedom-Fighter?! Certainly not Duke! He just wants to kill a big name superhero, somebody from the Liberty Brigade. Duke is also battling against his ex-wife, Sharon. This battle isn’t a domestic one; Sharon is also a rival assassin who just happens to be way better at killing than Duke. She keeps stealing his contracts and his money! This bothers Duke. He just can’t win.
When a contract comes through to kill the entire Liberty Brigade, Duke first thinks it’s a mistake, but then realizes that this is the best thing that could have happened to him! He will finally have the opportunity to kill the big heroes, but also to beat his ex-wife at something. Killing the members of the Liberty Brigade will also give him the motivation and the prestige to move on from his ex-wife. Chaos ensues as Duke goes after the Liberty Brigade and realizes that there are other major players behind the scenes pulling the strings. This anti-hero graphic novel was a fantastic palette cleanser from all of the traditional Marvel and DC comic books I had been reading.
The company that Duke works with keeps pairing him up with weird loser partners and also only gives his contracts to kill D-list superheroes. Who wants to be known as the assassin who killed Bug-Boy or Freedom-Fighter?! Certainly not Duke! He just wants to kill a big name superhero, somebody from the Liberty Brigade. Duke is also battling against his ex-wife, Sharon. This battle isn’t a domestic one; Sharon is also a rival assassin who just happens to be way better at killing than Duke. She keeps stealing his contracts and his money! This bothers Duke. He just can’t win.
When a contract comes through to kill the entire Liberty Brigade, Duke first thinks it’s a mistake, but then realizes that this is the best thing that could have happened to him! He will finally have the opportunity to kill the big heroes, but also to beat his ex-wife at something. Killing the members of the Liberty Brigade will also give him the motivation and the prestige to move on from his ex-wife. Chaos ensues as Duke goes after the Liberty Brigade and realizes that there are other major players behind the scenes pulling the strings. This anti-hero graphic novel was a fantastic palette cleanser from all of the traditional Marvel and DC comic books I had been reading.
August 23, 2016
*I received this book from NetGalley in return for a fair review.*
Turncoat is a graphic novel about an assassin who goes around killing lower tier superheros to 'keep the superhero population down'. Though he wants to score bigger prey.
He is old, smokes, and balding with a bad comb-over. He is not like Deadshot and . . um . . Deathstrike? Whatever the heck the assassins are called in DC Comics and Marvel - I never particularly liked or cared about them so I can't exactly recall their names (though Deadshot was one of the ones in Suicide Squad: The Movie, right?).
Like in the movie (maybe like in the comics? No idea, haven't read his comics), this assassin wears a mask when he goes for the kill. His first kill is Bug-Boy - and it's bloody and graphic. So you know this isn't a kiddies comic. It also isn't exactly funny.
The illustrations are good. For the most part. The assassin's dog does't really look like a dog. But meh. Had to look several times before I could tell that white blob was supposed to be a dog. Well, the first time I saw the dog at least.
This isn't the first Superhero parody I've read, I've read several though the only two that come immediately to mind are 'SideKick' and 'The Boys'. The second one kind of was extended long past it's expiration date and fizzed out. I'm not sure I actually read all of Sidekick or not, though it seemed to be getting better there near the end.
Second target is 'Freedom Fighter'. And MC dude fails in his mission. Because he arrived too late.
And then the ex-wife appeared. Sharon. Of course MC dude looks like an out of shape old bald dude while the ex-wife looks like a 'super-hot babe' type. mmphs. Also she has no blade discipline. I think she just cut her own leg off just now (well, not really, but the illustration kind of looks that way . . . a little). Huh. She just broke her ankle after doing a superhero/villian type leap - you know, injured herself like you would expect if you happened to see someone attempt to do a superhero move who isn't a superhero. That was kind of unexpected. And not exactly funny. Maybe I was mistaken about this having humor in it.
Oh right sorry. The story line. Right, so, assassin dude gets small fry to kill to keep the superhero population down, but then the biggest of the big, the Liberty Brigade, gets a target pinned to them. And so . . . that happened.
This is really kind of lame. And the main character is super annoying. bah.
Okay, I finally snorted in a vaguely laughing kind of way. Yes! Snorted! When a reporter asks a super loaded question of Black Prince.
Hmm. 'Sadly' the book pulled itself out of its nosedive before the end.
August 22 2016
Turncoat is a graphic novel about an assassin who goes around killing lower tier superheros to 'keep the superhero population down'. Though he wants to score bigger prey.
He is old, smokes, and balding with a bad comb-over. He is not like Deadshot and . . um . . Deathstrike? Whatever the heck the assassins are called in DC Comics and Marvel - I never particularly liked or cared about them so I can't exactly recall their names (though Deadshot was one of the ones in Suicide Squad: The Movie, right?).
Like in the movie (maybe like in the comics? No idea, haven't read his comics), this assassin wears a mask when he goes for the kill. His first kill is Bug-Boy - and it's bloody and graphic. So you know this isn't a kiddies comic. It also isn't exactly funny.
The illustrations are good. For the most part. The assassin's dog does't really look like a dog. But meh. Had to look several times before I could tell that white blob was supposed to be a dog. Well, the first time I saw the dog at least.
This isn't the first Superhero parody I've read, I've read several though the only two that come immediately to mind are 'SideKick' and 'The Boys'. The second one kind of was extended long past it's expiration date and fizzed out. I'm not sure I actually read all of Sidekick or not, though it seemed to be getting better there near the end.
Second target is 'Freedom Fighter'. And MC dude fails in his mission. Because he arrived too late.
And then the ex-wife appeared. Sharon. Of course MC dude looks like an out of shape old bald dude while the ex-wife looks like a 'super-hot babe' type. mmphs. Also she has no blade discipline. I think she just cut her own leg off just now (well, not really, but the illustration kind of looks that way . . . a little). Huh. She just broke her ankle after doing a superhero/villian type leap - you know, injured herself like you would expect if you happened to see someone attempt to do a superhero move who isn't a superhero. That was kind of unexpected. And not exactly funny. Maybe I was mistaken about this having humor in it.
Oh right sorry. The story line. Right, so, assassin dude gets small fry to kill to keep the superhero population down, but then the biggest of the big, the Liberty Brigade, gets a target pinned to them. And so . . . that happened.
This is really kind of lame. And the main character is super annoying. bah.
Okay, I finally snorted in a vaguely laughing kind of way. Yes! Snorted! When a reporter asks a super loaded question of Black Prince.
Hmm. 'Sadly' the book pulled itself out of its nosedive before the end.
August 22 2016
March 21, 2017
Turncoat isn’t a web comic I’ve heard of before, but I found it to be a decent read.
More of a black humour/superhero parody story , the plot follows Duke, a superhero hitman, who kills ‘lesser’ superheroes to control the larger ones, basically the Justice League, with its own Superman and Batman (called the Black Prince). The things is, he's just not that good at it; he ends up killing his partners and his ex-wife is better at it than he is. However a bounty has been put out on all the top tier heroes, dragging Duke into its conspiracy.
The main central part of the plot is good, and Duke is a good character and the humour in it is very good. I really liked the parts with the Black Prince (essentially Batman) as he threatens his ‘Alfred’ when he gets things wrong. I like how the story moves towards the end, my main problems with the story are only really minor stuff. The idea of the ex-wife is good, but the whole child visitation stuff/’whose the daddy’ thing seemed not to finish properly, and things like why Duke kills his partners isn’t explained either. Other than those niggles, I enjoyed it.
The artwork is very good in my opinion and certainly adds to the style that the type of story it is.
Overall, for comic book fans looking for a funny superhero parody, should give this a go.
More of a black humour/superhero parody story , the plot follows Duke, a superhero hitman, who kills ‘lesser’ superheroes to control the larger ones, basically the Justice League, with its own Superman and Batman (called the Black Prince). The things is, he's just not that good at it; he ends up killing his partners and his ex-wife is better at it than he is. However a bounty has been put out on all the top tier heroes, dragging Duke into its conspiracy.
The main central part of the plot is good, and Duke is a good character and the humour in it is very good. I really liked the parts with the Black Prince (essentially Batman) as he threatens his ‘Alfred’ when he gets things wrong. I like how the story moves towards the end, my main problems with the story are only really minor stuff. The idea of the ex-wife is good, but the whole child visitation stuff/’whose the daddy’ thing seemed not to finish properly, and things like why Duke kills his partners isn’t explained either. Other than those niggles, I enjoyed it.
The artwork is very good in my opinion and certainly adds to the style that the type of story it is.
Overall, for comic book fans looking for a funny superhero parody, should give this a go.
October 18, 2016
*Thank you netgalley for the free copy*
I must say that this one of the most satirical comics I had ever read. I can't say I didn't laugh at some jokes, some stupid and bloody, some pointless.
I must admit that I was drawn by the cover which is very pretty but as soon you get deep in the story I felt that the ilustrator just rushed and draw to have the page done. The art style it's not fantastic but with some little patient you can get to a decent level.
Now moving on into the story... At first I found pretty original, an unexploited idea but as soon I got to understand and get some answers almost everything remind me of some comic, tv show and so on. Duke and his little wife remind me of Mr&Mrs Smith and the rest of the heroes the League of Justice. This man works as an assassin for some company and his job is to kill heroes so they can have a control over the good and bad guys. After that Duke and most of the characters makes silly decisions and not so funny jokes. I don't have nothing against satire but this one didn't make me laugh so much. Maybe it's not for me.
I must say that this one of the most satirical comics I had ever read. I can't say I didn't laugh at some jokes, some stupid and bloody, some pointless.
I must admit that I was drawn by the cover which is very pretty but as soon you get deep in the story I felt that the ilustrator just rushed and draw to have the page done. The art style it's not fantastic but with some little patient you can get to a decent level.
Now moving on into the story... At first I found pretty original, an unexploited idea but as soon I got to understand and get some answers almost everything remind me of some comic, tv show and so on. Duke and his little wife remind me of Mr&Mrs Smith and the rest of the heroes the League of Justice. This man works as an assassin for some company and his job is to kill heroes so they can have a control over the good and bad guys. After that Duke and most of the characters makes silly decisions and not so funny jokes. I don't have nothing against satire but this one didn't make me laugh so much. Maybe it's not for me.
August 7, 2016
Quite a different take on the superhero world.
It was funny, and fast-paced. But it was a tad uneven and confusing at times.
It was enjoyable - worth a read if you're into superhero comics and want to see something a little different. But not something I'd recommend to just anyone - or first time readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and T Pub for a copy in return for an honest review.
It was funny, and fast-paced. But it was a tad uneven and confusing at times.
It was enjoyable - worth a read if you're into superhero comics and want to see something a little different. But not something I'd recommend to just anyone - or first time readers.
Thanks to NetGalley and T Pub for a copy in return for an honest review.
Read
August 25, 2016This is going to be a DNF (50% in) for me. I just can't get into it.
November 10, 2021
The main problem with this is that although “The Boys With Less Puerile Gags” is a decent proposition, this doesn’t quite replace the extremes of Ennis’ comic with anything particularly interesting. It’s considerably more likeable than The Boys, and has a nice line in absurdist comedy, but to be honest most of that is down to Klaus’ enjoyably bonkers art. Everything I enjoyed about this is down to his wonderfully fluid yet angular style, nicely imbuing grotesques with enough life to make you actually care a bit about the story. It’s never terrible, just never quite justifies why it should exist and everything great about it is because of the art. It really should be a great portfolio for Klaus who should go into greater things than this
February 18, 2019
A highly refreshing comic with satirical dark humour, well paced and surprisingly memorable characters. The artwork was bold and basic and capable to keep the audience hooked with the pacing.
There were of course slower parts for which I had to drop a star and the ending was not something you could stay on edge until the end for, but you know that already if you are down a few pages in the start itself.
Highly recommend for a graphic novel off the beaten path and a more casual read. You can pick up wherever you left abruptly and that itself is a win for a graphic novel according to me. Cheers!
There were of course slower parts for which I had to drop a star and the ending was not something you could stay on edge until the end for, but you know that already if you are down a few pages in the start itself.
Highly recommend for a graphic novel off the beaten path and a more casual read. You can pick up wherever you left abruptly and that itself is a win for a graphic novel according to me. Cheers!
February 15, 2022
Amusing but a little too self-aware. A cross between a parody of superheroes and Watchmen with a smidge of The Boys thrown in. Kind of. But probably not as good as it sounds like. But maybe I read it at the wrong time.
It was entertaining enough to read and the art was most enjoyable. The story is complete in this volume. Which is a good thing There is plenty to like about this but, maybe due to what I have read, this felt like it was covering previously trodden ground.
In general, a bit of fun but not as madcap as I feel it needed to be.
It was entertaining enough to read and the art was most enjoyable. The story is complete in this volume. Which is a good thing There is plenty to like about this but, maybe due to what I have read, this felt like it was covering previously trodden ground.
In general, a bit of fun but not as madcap as I feel it needed to be.
May 31, 2017
The humor is so specific. not general teen appeal.
February 2, 2018
I wanted to like this but it really wasn't for me. The humour and the characters just didn't appeal and I couldn't care about the story.
September 10, 2018
Interesting and fun.
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