The Worst Dudes

Starred review from January 17, 2022
With a torrent of profanity bursting from its first word balloon, this black-humored adventure from Sitterson (No One Left to Fight) and Gregori (Deuce of Hearts) kicks off a wild ride through a perverse galaxy, starring the seediest of seedy characters. This crew’s exactly what it says on the tin: they really are the worst dudes. Dirty space cop Sam Sugar gets hired to hunt down Zephyr Monsoon, a pop singer, dancer, and the illegitimate daughter of a planetary god. Accompanying Sam are Caligula Monomacho (a gigantic pink horny lion-man) and the heir to the throne, Bang (a princeling who considers himself a god). Their adventures zip them across a universe rife with over-the-top dirty fights, oversize weapons, copious bodily fluids, recreational space drugs, evil timeshare presentations, and ample nudity. It would border on offensive but instead falls over into absolutely hilarious. Gregori’s boisterous art does visual justice to outrageous concepts with the exaggerated style of a Tex Avery cartoon on speed. Definitely adults-only, this scatological saga will appeal to fans of Tank Girl and I Hate Fairyland. It’s a delightfully preposterous R-rated buddy comedy.

April 2, 2022

Sam, a dirty cop, is tasked by the Eternal Empress to find her husband's lovechild, named Zephyr, who promptly fell out of the public eye a month ago. On the trail, Sam, alongside comrades Cal and Bang, visits a rehabilitation facility with a very bribable staff, finds an ex-gangster selling timeshare properties, and even lands on the head of a god. Drugs, lewd humor, and gratuitous sex abound. The illustrations are over-exaggerated and brightly colored, which fits in well with the plot and characters. The biggest failing with this story is that it is just trying to be edgy and funny, and instead comes across as desperate and trying too hard in general. The comic feels like it's trying to give its three main characters some life and depth, but despite some growth seen over the course of five chapters, Sam, Cal, and Bang seem as lifeless and forgettable as they were in the beginning. This graphic novel, collecting the first five issues of the series, will have a very limited interest group--the nichest of the niche. VERDICT Not recommended for public libraries, unless they have a large audience for niche science fiction graphic novels.--Amanda Toth

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