GRAPHIC NOVELS

Everybody Loves Tank Girl

by Alan C. Martin
Jim Mahfood (illus.). Titan. 2013. 80p. ISBN 9780857687500. $19.95. FANTASY
COPY ISBN
UK writer and Tank Girl creator Martin and artist Mahfood (Grrl Scouts; Clerks) deliver a dream wrapped in a graphic novel, in which the only person who really understands is the dreamer. Still, this collected edition of the "Tank Girl" miniseries follows the long-running title character, her mutant kangaroo boyfriend Booga, and a cast of other oddball characters on disconnected adventures in a postapocalyptic world that includes a spelling bee swearing contest, an LSD-assisted ninja battle, and a highbrow gunfight with the Wee-Wee Brothers. The frenetic (and short) stories are intercut with surprisingly poignant poetry and meditations on life that accompany splash pages of art.
VERDICT Although the collection contains precious little in the way of traditional narrative or character background, it doesn't matter. Too much knowledge would probably detract from the fun of reading these bizarre bits of story. Mahfood's graffiti-style artwork adds to the acid-trip aesthetic of the writing. Recommended for mature indie comics fans and anyone looking for a strange, bawdy, laugh-out-loud read.
Reviewed by Peter Petruski, Cumberland Cty. Lib. Syst., Carlisle, PA , May 10, 2013
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