Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Not Quite Super-Powered Comics: Iron West

Doug TenNapel is one of the most fascinating creative minds of the last few years. He is almost certainly most famous as the creator of the oddball character Earthworm Jim, star of three video games of variable quality. But for the last few years, he has regularly been producing graphic novels at Image. Of these Iron West is by far the best.

Iron West doesn’t do costumed superheroes, but it does do pretty much everything else! A small town grifter named Preston Struck stumbles upon an invasion force made up of ancient alien robots that take on the likenesses of the population around them. Struck becomes a reluctant hero as he does the boy who cried wolf routine back in his hometown. Things heat up as he finds himself forced to look out for someone other than himself as the life of his beloved Miss Sharon falls in to danger.

I don’t want to ruin too much of the story for you, but I will say things get crazier after that. Expect to see robot Indians, Sasquatch, the Loch Ness monster... suffice it to say, the story is heavy on the weird.

So if you want to see something super-powered but still crazy and far different than the usual fare, be sure to go searching for Mr. TenNapel and give Iron West a try. Recommended.

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