Following up on the Albatross Funnybooks one-shot, Eric Powell, Lucky Yates, and Gideon Kendall are back with a three issue miniseries that tells the further adventures of Lester in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of America.
Cover by Gideon KendallWritten by Eric Powell & Lucky Yates
Illustrated & Colored by Gideon Kendall
Lettered by Eric PowellIn a not-so-distant future wasteland, an unlikely hero is tasked with battling monsters and demons of all sorts. The son of a random woman and Odin himself, Lester leads a less than ideal life as a fry cook in a small diner, until the day that Satan himself rose from the depths of hell and Lester did his best to fight back.
Initially getting his whole ass handed to him by the great beast, Odin eventually decided to step in and give his son an assist just powerful enough for Lester to send Satan back to hell. Lester then vowed to protect the wasteland and defeat any foul foes that endangered the lives of the innocent. Through various misadventures and making mistakes in his quest to do good, Lester is definitely a Lesser God as the title suggests. Fairly stupid with a heart of gold is a good way to describe this would-be hero as he makes his way across the wasteland battling with supernatural creatures, robots, and cultists.
A fairly on point send up of all manner of barbarian and sci-fi comics, books, and movies, Powell and Yates have a very specific tone they are looking to nail and basically every page achieves the bonkers violence and cheesecake style of the countless pulp books in existence. Of course, attempting to sum up decades upon decades worth of material and sub-genres in short run comic book is a daunting task, but one look at this thing and readers immediately understand what this creative team is going for. Powell, who is no stranger to pulp, is known for his work across many different comics, but his series “The Goon,” his team-ups with writer/artist Mike Mignola on “Hellboy,” and the Buffy-verse series “Angel” have made Powell a household name with those who love the weirder side of comics. And while his past works have dabbled in similar styles and themes to “Lester of the Lesser Gods,” this series does feel like he has completely taken the reins and is heading for a time of years’ past. I wouldn’t say this issue is completely unsafe or going to get Powell and Yates canceled, but it certainly isn’t going to win favor with those looking for something even remotely P.C. But that’s the fun of it. Powell and Yates are having their (cheese)cake and eating it too. They know this is dumb fun and aren’t trying to make something that is disgustingly offensive. It is offensive and silly in all the right ways.
Now, if this simply isn’t your bag, then this series is not going to work for you. It isn’t as hyper-sexual or unhinged as some things that hit stands 40+ years ago, like “Heavy Metal,” but it definitely lives in a similar smog-choked wasteland. It’s gross out gags, over the top violence, stupid one-liners, and T & A. Normally this isn’t my go-to when it comes to comics either (says the guy who loves every horror sub-genre and dumb comedies), but I have taken in enough content in my nearly 38 years that I can see the talent and appreciate the goal, even if the final product isn’t really my thing. Powell and Yates’s script is really goofy with all the tropes, references, and jokes to keep you at least half-smiling and looking to see what their game is. And the artwork, both the illustrations and colors by Gideon Kendall, is quite beautiful for this type of book. It’s cartoonish schlock, but it has clearly been rendered with love.
While there is plenty of fun to be had, with lots of references and homages, there isn’t anything new here. So while made with a lot of reverence and joy for this type of book, it never succeeds in being something really of note. However the talent and that love goes a long way to keep this from being just another trashy comic to hit shelves. A fun concept and tongue-in-cheek creativity throughout make it a solid and fun read if this is your thing.
Final Verdict: 5.0, This is a fine love letter to pulp books of all sorts, “Lester of the Lesser Gods” #1 knows its audience and it refreshingly does not care if you’re offended or not.
