Publisher: Wolf Cave Comics
Writer: Andrea Wolf
Artist: Ezequiel
Release Date: Available via Kickstarter until Friday June 7th 2019 (CLICK HERE)

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I was given the opportunity to review this new comic knowing nothing more than that we were going to be dealing with pulp action comedy and a teenage assassin. With a premise like that I was instantly thinking along the lines of Kick-Ass or Wanted, but as always with alternative suggestions, I tried to keep a very open mind and leave the preconceptions at the door.

They say never judge a book by its cover and Buzzard, in a roundabout sort of way, falls into this bracket. That’s not to be negative about the artwork. Indeed, the teen standing in nowt but the Union flag draped around him giving the old two-finger salute against a backdrop of altered British iconography is well done; it just didn’t really say much to me. It perhaps doesn’t help having a predominantly white background, white in the flag, and a ‘white’ teenager to catch your eye more. That said, looking at it again having read through a couple of times, it speaks more of the character and setting than I’m giving credit for here initially.

The internal artwork is of a high quality throughout. The stark monochrome nature lends itself well to the writing and the letters help to provide an easy read. Even in panels with a lot of back and forth, not to mention the slang and ‘patois’ of London Town, there’s no lack of clarity or loss of detail in the characters. Personally I’m not sure the overall effect left me with the impression that this was England though. The action lines and expressive work, which I liked, felt more akin to Manga and without the dialogue and Union flags I’m not sure I could have placed this.

So with sufficient two veg, what about the meat of the story then? Opening in what one can only assume is a seedy back alley we meet our protagonist Buzzard and their claims of patriotism. It’s a theme that not so subtly rings out on many an occasion during this issue, but which is adequately handled with wit and humour. This is a very young man who speaks with a much older voice but I wonder if that’s me showing bias as a much older man than I care to admit. Underneath all the bravado there’s a naïve idealist, albeit a murderous potential anarchist to boot. We’re not past the first page before this chap has sarcastically dropped trousers at the choice of handing over his cash or a knife in the rear…

For a story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, it provides ample genuinely funny moments in what is a very dark and twisted tale. Buzzard is a low life thug and would-be hard man. Taking money from a underworld boss to deal with petty problems in ultra-violent ways, our anti-hero gains tutelage and a new direction from an unlikely source before building up to a meeting with some very organised fascists. Buzzard starts bare-knuckled anyway but by the end of this issue, we’re into some pretty wacky territory. Any semblance to gritty realism is thrown out of this speeding motor and springboards into what might possibly be a run worth keeping an eye on, particularly if you like the idea of a thuggish, Brit-pop, Nazi-bashing anti-hero!?

Whilst this is something that I might have otherwise missed, I’m glad I got a chance to give it a go.

Rating: 3.5/5.

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Make sure to check out the Wolf Cave Comics Facebook Page for more information about the comic, and other upcoming projects from the publisher.

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The writer of this piece was: Adam Brown
Adam Tweets from @brother_rooster

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