“The Unmentionables” is a 40 page one-shot written and illustrated by Jack Teagle and published through Retrofit/Big Planet Comics. It’s over-the-top and bananas in all the best ways, with a sense of humor, a great heart, and style.
Written and Illustrated by Jack Teagle
Lizard Woman and Vulturella are natural foes in the wrestling ring, but outside of it, Lizard Woman is just Lizz, a struggling single mom. Until one night when Vulturella starts going all out against Lizard Woman! Why is Vulturella trying to tire out Lizard Woman?! Wrestling action and superheroics from Jack Teagle, creator of “Fight!” from Nobrow Press.
There’s a big wrestling sub-fandom within the Multiversity offices: so it seems like a story about anthropomorphic wrestling crime-fighters would be right up our alley. “The Unmentionables” by Jack Teagle is completely ridiculous and utterly bonkers, full of charm, humor, and confident cartooning. It’s pretty easy to figure out where the story’s going, but the way Teagle delivers everything is unpredictable and hysterical.
The story follows Lizard Woman and Vulterella, two mutant wrestlers during one of their matches. Like most wrestling matches, it’s a show, and these two fighters know how to work a crowd. Except tonight, Vulturella isn’t pulling any of her punches, making it difficult for Lizard Woman to get an edge in. By the looks of it, she’s trying to prolong the match. And then, after the final bell rings, she suddenly vanishes, leaving Lizard Woman, aka Lizz, the manager, Mr. Muscles, and another fighter, Bea, to figure out what’s going on.
The book is an absolute blast. Teagle’s characters are big and exaggerated, and that gives them a lot ore room for expression. He fills the background not just with solid blacks, but tight line toning and that makes it seem like everything is moving faster and hitting harder. The oversized format lends a certain amount of epicness and scale to the story and it just feels like spectator event. The book runs a little longer than a typical comic book, and Teagle uses the page count to give the story and the world more time to develop. His humor also works at full force. It’s not just having a book starring an anthropomorphic lizard and vulture lady running around in singlets and smashing each others’ heads into the floor, but also just the overly ridiculous things they say to each other, the way he lands a joke. Teagle plays everything straight, doesn’t constantly nudge you in the rib with his elbow, and it helps you get more invested in the narrative.
Despite all the craziness, Teagle manages to raise some questions about crime. The bad guys act out because they feel they aren’t being treated fairly. “We have to put up with so much crap as heels and what do we have to show for it? Nothing!” Vulteralla bemoans. “We roll with your punches, we take the most hits, we almost always lose!” Their crime is understandable, and it does come from a place of social injustice, though Teagle makes sure to point out that the baddies’ perspective and way of handling their problems maybe isn’t the best. “I’ve done everything I could to make sure the circuit is run as fairly as possible!” yells the manager at one point. Lizz points out that money is tight for all of them, but their frustrations do not excuse their actions. It’s a lot of the themes that we see playing out through superhero comics, but that idea of breaking points and perspective always make for an interesting discussion.
The oversized format of “The Unmentionables” matches the oversized hysteria going on within its pages. Teagle demonstrates a fantastic sense of humor and character. He obviously had the time of his life creating this story, and that enthusiasm radiates off every single page. It’s big and goofy, but heartfelt and even earnest. The delivery is wild and it offers so much fun that it’s easy to return to again and again.
Final Verdict: 8.7 – Big and crazy and simply a blast.
