Written by Andy Hartnell.
Art by Harvey Tolibo
Color by Romulo Fajardo
Published by IDW Publishing
The year was 1998. Godzillla stood astride the cinematic world like a mighty colossus. All Saints continued to assert their dominance in the pop charts and, in the world of comics, coming at you like a pound shop mash-up of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Charlie’s Angels, was Danger Girl, the ultra-hip (for the late Nineties) creation of J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell chronicling the adventures of a group of comely young secret agents/adventurers. Like many of the third-party titles of the late Nineties, Danger Girl always seemed to be there on the periphery of the comics buyers’ vision: always visible but never quite piquing interest enough to give it a look because (based solely on the covers) it was puerile nonsense aimed entirely at horny fan-boys.
Since the title has been acquired by comic book island of misfit toys, IDW, and since they rarely associate themselves with inferior products, we find ourselves with the opportunity to finally give it a sporting chance to defy its “book by cover” expectations. “The Chase” sees our heroines on the trail of a mysterious villain who has acquired a briefcase-shaped McGuffin with ominous-sounding abilities. That’s all you get in terms of exposition, and though it might sound shallow, truthfully that’s all you really need. Danger Girl: The Chase is a mindless good times comic book romp which although seemingly vacuous, perfectly satisfies in the same way that an occasional episode of Hollyoaks can.
Tolibo’s art is well defined and vibrant. It’s also all very cheesecake. To say that some of the ladies’ poses stretch credulity would be like saying Hitler was “a bit of a rascal”. We’re not talking Liefield territory here and if I’m completely honest, it’s perfect for the story, but it would be nice if the art allowed the reader to differentiate between the three leads with slightly more than each of them having slightly different hair. The action is ceaseless and the issue passes by in a trice leaving the reader with the notion that it’s a half an hour of their life they would never have back, but not wanting it any other way.
Please, tell me more about this elite covert organization you work for.
It’s not to say that a comic of this nature can’t be intelligent; you need only look at the Warren Ellis/David Lloyd issue of Global Frequency “The Run” to see how that can be done, but in this case it would be like putting a philosophical discussion into an episode of Top Gear: not necessary and to be frank not wanted. Danger Girl: The Chase issue 1 is a completely dopey adrenaline-fuelled action adventure with implausibly proportioned “secret agents” jiggling around like extras from a 15-year-old’s fantasy saving the world from certain peril. I wouldn’t want to live in a world that didn’t have room for books like this.
Completely meretricious, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
2.5 out of 5 nerds
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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