Review – Airboy #2 (Image Comics)

Publisher: Image Comics
Writer: James Robinson
Artist: Greg Hinkle
Release Date: 1st July, 2015

When I reviewed Airboy # 1, I said it was the best thing I’ve read all year. I’m so happy Airboy # 2 hasn’t disappointed. I love this story, the marriage of Hinkle’s amazing art and James Robinson’s tremendously meta script – wherein no-one is getting out unscathed, especially himself – is just delicious stuff. After Issue 1 went on sale Greg Hinkle tweeted that he can’t believe his art is actually on the shelves in stores beside all his heroes. I can’t believe it wasn’t there a long time ago. I cannot recommend this story enough, something about it just appeals to me, and I love it. To absolute bits.

The Issue opens with Airboy appearing in front of our two protagonists after their drug fuelled binge. Naturally they freak out and run away, then convince themselves they are both hallucinating. Deciding to run with the hallucination they explain to Airboy the multiverse theory and how he doesn’t belong to this time, he’s just visiting from some other reality .. somehow.

Airboy starts to understand, it explains why he finds this reality he is in so horrible, why he is standing in the park wondering why no-one is in a suit, why everyone looks like a hobo, and why all the buildings look so flat and horrible. Satisfied that they are finally getting through to Airboy Hinkle buys some brownies, then realises too late they are full of pot. Soooo.. with the three of them stoned out their tits the only natural course open to them would be to take Airboy to a Transvestite club for a drink. Obvs, right?

Cue a hilarious Airboy asking why his hair itches, a brilliant heart-to-heart between Robinson and Hinkle where they have a pop at DC, Flashpoint and Convergence and how it’s all become too corporate. Inevitably, Airboy’s actions launch us nicely into issue number 3, twisting everything in this story on its head again. I can’t say this enough, it’s a brilliant story.

This comic is outstanding (you get that I like this, right), and I’m actually pretty heartbroken there are only two issues left.

Rating: 5/5.

The writer of this piece was: Andrew McGlinn
Andrew Tweets from @Jockdoom.