Review – Bumstorm #4: Truant See, Truant Do (Thought Bubble 18)

In the latest issue of Robert Luckett’s BUMSTORM, our flatulent hero Guff finds himself firmly in the crosshairs of Pilochun, a no-nonsense Truancy Officer who has been called in to find out why he hasn’t been at school for a few days, risking the Mayor’s perfect Primary School attendance record in the process.

It’s unashamedly broad, as you’d likely expect from a series that takes great pride in selling itself as being “The Comic About Farting.” The running gag here is based around Pilochun trying to apprehend Guff with increasingly complex technology, only to be undone time and time again by the youngster’s various bum-based powers.  It’s a little like a classic Road Runner cartoon in that respect, albeit a slightly more flatulent one.

It’s worth pointing out that Luckett’s artwork seems to have improved noticeably from the first three issues of the series, with a slightly more polished approach to his slick, cartoony style and a cracking representation of Guff’s various powers.  It also helps things immeasurably that this latest issue, unlike the previous three, is full-colour.  Everything is suitably bright and vibrant as you might expect, and Luckett shows a deft hand in terms of the depth and tone of the colors on display.

The story whips along at a brisk pace, keeping the pages turning as Pilochun gets more and more frustrated, before ending in what’s probably as close to a tense cliffhanger as you’re ever going to get in a fart-based comic.

At the end of the day, this is a book which is definitely going to appeal more to younger readers, although there’s still some amusing gags thrown in for the adults that will likely sail over some of the youngster’s heads.

For me, BUMSTORM feels like it could have easily been ripped from the pages of a classic Beano or Dandy issue, which is probably all you need to know in order to decide whether it’s going to be your cup of tea or not.  It’s definitely worth checking out though, especially if you have a younger comic book fan in your life, or are a big fan of fart gags.  Or, y’know, both.

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BUMSTORM #4: Truant See, Truant Do launches on September 22nd at Thought Bubble in Leeds.  Find Robert at Table 48 in the Victoria Hall.

However, if you can’t make it to Leeds, have no fear because you can pick up the entire BUMSTORM back catalogue in print (CLICK HERE) or digital (CLICK HERE) formats.

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The writer of this piece was: Craig Neilson-Adams (aka Ceej)
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