Review: SLAM! #4
I really like when comics delve into areas not usually covered by mainstream comics. Do you remember the last time that Marvel or DC delved into the world of roller derby? I had read the first issue, but it fresh after reading Bonnie N. Collide by Monica Gallagher, and it didn’t really click like it probably should have.
SLAM! #4
Writer: Pamela Ribon
Artist: Veronica Fish
Cover Artists: Veronica Fish, Audrey Mok
Price: $3.99
Synopsis: CanCan and Knockout are living separate lives after their friendship fizzles…until Knockout volunteers to ref a bout with CanCan’s team and appears to be calling extra penalties on her old friend.
Review:
Like I said, I wish I had been reading this religiously. The subject matter is enough to draw in a casual reader, but it’s really just the setting for an intriguing interpersonal drama. It’s also refreshing that for those that have seen other depictions of roller derby stories that this does not re-tread on the novelty of the sport. The drama is something that draws me completely in to the point that I want to see the next issue, despite the story giving something of a conclusion to the tension between the characters.
Veronica Fish is fast becoming one of my favorite artists, but I sincerely hope that she does more grounded stories. I want her on these to make them more palatable for a wider audience. I have loved all of her work, but these type of stories are the ones I love seeing a fantastic artist illustrating.
That brings me to how much I think that there are great artists working in comics today and every time I see someone with a more illustrative, cartoonish, or artistically expressive style it makes me wish that mainstream super-hero comics would get away from the hyper-realistic rut that they’ve developed a fondness for. Yes, I know there are exceptions to the rule, but they are exceptions and comics should be as wide and as varied as possible. If you want to experience how good a comic can be that looks completely unlike what people think comics are, because mainstream comics flood the market with hyper-realistic super-heroes.
Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)
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