This oversized side-scrolling adventure has reached its penultimate chapter, with our hero, Rock, getting into some serious trouble indeed. It’s splashy video game antics all the way down, and the next best thing to actually breaking out the Super NES and bedding down with some clear cola.
Written by Daniel Freedman and Sina Grace
Illustrated by Sina GracePART TWO OF THE BORN TO LOSE TRILOGY!
The events of BURN THE ORPHANAGE have led Rock down a dark path, where he finds himself on a hidden island, forced to compete in the ultimate martial arts tournament… one where the participants may not all be human. New foes, new hoes, this is one oversized romp you can’t miss!
Things seemed to be wrapping up tidily when we last checked in with Rock. He’d kicked off the head of an evil tycoon, and gotten some closure about his past. But now he’s been seduced by a demoness and forced into a tournament to the death, because that’s definitely a thing that can happen to you in a 16-bit world. He’s going to have to fight his way through this one – but could there be another way?
The plot moves along at a brisk pace, introducing campy (and familiar) elements at every turn. The exposition is, of course, delivered in unwieldy chunks, shunting events forward and raising the stakes according to the amped-up rhythms of a fighting game. But it would all be for nothing if Freedman and Grace didn’t manage a solid laugh every few pages, and it’s in the humor that this book really thrives.
Rock’s epic personal journey is of course the focus, and as his situation grows more dire, a running gag wherein he likens his belt to his sense of moral fibre is unexpectedly fruitful. Meanwhile, we’ve got a whole new cast of colourful characters to complement Rock’s already-established team; the dialogue manages to be snappy and stilted all at once, getting at the weird and hilarious poetry of the video game translations of our youth.
It’s not exactly deep stuff, but the heart and warmth of it all complements the entertainment factor nicely. There’s something to be said for taking a set of conventions, playing them to the hilt, and letting the humour come out of that organically, and in that respect “Burn the Orphanage” is a beautiful example of affectionate homage.
Sina Grace’s art has yet to disappoint us, and in “Burn the Orphanage” it’s been a lot of fun seeing some of the more extravagant facets of his work. The crowning achievement here has got to be the horned goat-man-warrior, although there are some very close seconds among Rock’s larger-than-life opponents. As in the first issue, the gimmicky little touches (like a double-page bracket diagram featuring headshots of all the contestants) add a couple extra giggles without feeling cheap; it’s all grounded by Grace’s dependable character work and feel for telling detail.
Speaking of which, let’s not forget the clothes. As Freedman and Grace noted in the last issue, the jokes here are as much on fashion as they are on video games, and Grace nails every bad and good memory you have of the era’s aesthetics. Half shirts! Rompers! Paisley leggings! It’s all carried off with confidence and a good deal of love, with the fashion shots timed for maximum impact. It’s like he wants us to have embarrasing flashbacks to wardrobes gone by. It certainly doesn’t help that John Rauch has got such a great handle on the colours, setting down that wide range of pastels and touch of neon pink that still haunts our dreams sometimes.
All told, if you liked the first issue, you’ll find even more to love in this second one: it moves quickly, it hits the nostalgia factor hard, and it’s got a great sense of fun. If any of these factors sounds like a good time to you, chances are you’ll feel compelled to play “Burn the Orphanage” right to the end.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – Buy
