They beat the crap out of Robin?!

Well obviously my first reaction was "Who the hell bitch slapped Robin?!"...and oddly enough that was all it took for me to buy Danger Club #4.

I'm pretty new to the work of Landry Walker and Eric Jones, but if this series is anything to go by then I am more than happy to get well acquainted. Without giving too much away (it REALLY is something you need to read for yourself!) This series pretty much takes Kick Ass and Lord Of The Flies, throws them in a big pot and stirs it up until it's over flowing with awesomeness.

It is dark right from the premise, set 3 months after the earth's mightiest heroes have all disappeared (presumed dead) in search of an intergalactic threat, leaving behind only their teenage sidekicks to defend the earth. But like all teenage-run societies, it is pretty much hell. Instead of banding together they are against each other, with the most powerful among them declaring himself their savoir and demanding loyalty.

Issue 1 kicks off with a small group of renegades plotting to overthrow the mini dictator and that's when it gets pretty fucking awesome. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pages...the gruesomeness of it all is almost unbelievable! Not that gruesome bothers me, but the fact that these are all teenagers, kids who are so lost, and sad, that killing each other without any thought is one of the only releases. But this aspect is definitely my favourite if I'm honest and crude.

In every issue so far the double page spreads are the centrepiece to amazing scenes, and not just fighting, there's some cosmic shiz in there too that really doesn't disappoint. I can honestly say that by the end of each issue I constantly find myself saying "Huh? but that's not meant to happen?! What comes next?!". There have only been 4 issues so far and I really am thinking that a fairy tale ending seems impossible for these teenagers - especially the main protagonist Kid Vigilante. 

I can't express how exciting this series is already, and the first issue is definitely one of my favourite opening titles since the Young Avengers (I'm noticing a theme here...) It's smart writing, violent, awesome art and a humorous homage to superheroes past and present (we've even got ourselves a teenage Nick Fury and a withered Captain America!)

But what I particularly love is the detail of story telling by Walker and Jones. They work perfectly together to narrate and visualise harmony and disharmony simultaneously...which is rather..odd.
At the beginning of each issue we are presented with (an old comic style) opening page, and everything that Walker and Jones are attempting to tell us can be seen right here.We see a world that was once colourful, and full of heroes and friends who once helped each other, now turning on one another. This contrasts greatly with the story that lays ahead, and even more amazingly with the cover art and I bloody love it.

Danger Club is one of a few awesome titles comin' straight otta Image Comics at the moment - including Saga (Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples) and i'm very excited for  Eric Stephenson and Nate Bellegarde's forthcoming title Nowhere Men Nov. 2012). I'm very happy to say that my head is well and truly out of the Marvel/DC arse.

Saga

Nowhere Men

So, what would doom do? he'd start investing in some Latveria shares...how else will he fund this serious Image Comics habit that's about to take hold.