Future Comic Geek Cred

It always bugged me that we got into (f'rinstance) Y the Last Man starting with #12 or thereabouts. It's either the indie snob in me or the mylar-bagging comics nerd in me, but I likes to get in on the ground floor.


Which is why I am now going to plug Guttsville and put you, dear reader, in a position to say "I liked that before it was cool."

The book, by Simon Spurrier and Frazer Irving, is set in the belly of Leviathan, where a group of convicts/settlers (swallowed on an ill-fated trip to Australia back in the day) have managed to survive, if not thrive, for several generations. They refer to that forgotten period before the giant fish thingy ate them as "The Drytime" and they are convinced that, like Jonah, they are being tested by the Lord. The wicked, in Gutsville, are hung over bile ducts by the Town Elders and digested by the creature. Our hero - the son of the town Ratcatcher - may have just found a way out, but it's a certain digesting for that kind of blasphemy and sedition.

The art in this six issue miniseries is murky and grotesque (in a good way) and the premise and writing are super inventive. The characters are a little stock, at least so far, but the issue ends with a twist that promises much fun ahead. All in all, a really nifty book.

The first issue is out on stands now, and those looking for a new high-concept comic that's a bit off the beaten path should check it out - especially if you ever thought Pinocchio kinda had a neat thing going there in the belly of that whale.