Now that is a title that gets your attention. But even if this comic were called, I don’t know, “Watching Paint Dry, Vol. 2”, it wouldn’t change the fact that what’s going on within its pages is all kinds of loopy. First in a four-part miniseries from Titan Books, this is the sort of comic that goes great with popcorn.
Written and Illustrated by Dan Boultwood
An enormous alien robot lays waste to the English countryside, annihilating bunting, villages and diagonally-sliced sandwiches alike! Only the pipe-chomping space scientist Dr. Boy Brett and his assistant Doris Night (a lady) stand a chance of stopping it from marching all the way to London — but can they possibly escape the grasp of GRURK and get the might of the British Army on their side?!
Laid out so as to resemble a silver-screen drive-in flick as closely as possible, “It Came” is a fast-moving monster movie spoof in which Dr. Boy Brett and his assistant go out for lunch and happen to face down a giant robot. And that’s pretty much all there is to it, but then, how much more do you need?
Integral to the success of it all is the choice of setting. Boultwood spends a good deal of time making gentle fun of the English countryside and its residents, from the terrified vicar, to the tittering old ladies, to a phlegmatic pair of workmen. (As a cloud rises on the horizon: “Looks like weather, and what ‘ave you.” “Aye.”) Even festive bunting plays in role in taking this story to its finish. And while it’s not exactly hard satire, the contrast between this vision of 1950s-era England and the Hollywoodian glitz of the robot makes for a potent mix.
The rest of the laughs come from the casual snobbery and misogyny of Brett, and while the comic leans a little heavily on these at it progresses to its finish, it’s a solid running gag – especially since it’s pretty clear that Doris is right about everything. Boultwood’s feel for pacing and visual storytelling, meanwhile, make sure that all the jokes hit with maximum effect.
Visually speaking, Boultwood captures the cinematic look in a loose but inventive manner. The comic is “filmed” in “black and white” (actually blue and white), while most of the panels are long horizontal rectangles that put you in mind of CinemaScope. We get some great, off-kilter camera angles when the robot’s doing its thing, and as the situation gets even more dire, some noirish chiaroscuro shadowing.
Overall, Boultwood’s art style is sharp and cartoony, working a lot of detail into the settings but keeping the characters simple. Brett is the recognizable square-jawed cad, and Doris glamorous made up within an inch of her life, with the way her “common” side shines through when Brett misunderstands her making the cheaper gags that much more fun. Standing in the center of it all is the robot, who, in a minimalist way, is just what you’d expect – he could be the giant second cousin of Robby from Forbidden Planet.
The extras bring it all home – fake advertisements for cigarettes and baldness cures, even IMDb profiles for the “actors” who starred in the comic. (Both performers have… problems, to the say the least.) Best of all are the tongue-in-cheek movie posters – I don’t what I’d do to see (or read the comic version of) My Reptilian Bride, but it’s probably illegal in most countries.
It’s all a bit superficial, but then, that’s a little like complaining that your birthday cake has too much icing. “It Came!” is a thoroughly enjoyable and funny comic, and it looks like we have plenty to look forward to as the carnage reaches its apex.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – Buy
