Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down the Pub
Issue: #1
Writer: Ben Templesmith
Artist: Ben Templesmith
32 pp. IDW Publishing. $3.99
Reviewed by Paul Stotts
“Yes, yes…must deal with impending doom, yet again. But, first…to a pint of the finest!—Ben Templesmith, Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down the Pub
Writer/artist Ben Templesmith is one twisted puppy (I mean that in the most flattering way). When he’s not licking blue Mohawks at conventions, he’s creating absolutely killer comic books. His recent horror series Welcome to Hoxford was one of the best minis of 2008. Now Ben has dropped a one-shot featuring his recurring character Wormwood, “a happy-go-lucky larval worm thing with a liking for fine stout, strippers and most of the other vices planet Earth has to offer.” And since a worm has to get around, Wormwood inhabits a suit-wearing corpse with an English accent.
Now if you’re scratching your head in confusion, you’re not alone. Wormwood embraces weirdness like an infant hugs a teddy bear. Part science-fiction, part horror, all comedy, Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down the Pub is like a bizarre version of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (if the tales were all told by a universe-saving larval worm inhabiting an Englishman. Okay when I put it that way, there’s no similarity.) The issue is a montage of three separate stories narrated by Wormwood through pint-drinking interludes. The stories are fairly basic, but deliver a great bit of comedy.
The best comic book creators are the ones that push the limits of the format, always searching for a new way to tell a story. They consistently take risks through their artistic choices, refusing to play it safe. And their work should be read on principle. Templesmith is one of these trailblazers.
Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down the Pub is a wildly imaginative, humorous bit of comic goofery. It’s definitely worth a look.
Final Grade: 84 out of 100
Related Posts:
Comic Break: Welcome to Hoxford #1 (IDW Publishing)
Comic Break: Welcome to Hoxford #2 (IDW Publishing)
Comic Break: Welcome to Hoxford #3 (IDW Publishing)
2 comments:
To be a gentleman also means to be a better man. Since the 19th century, the meaning of gentleman has exist. Simply just by walking her home, open the door for her, have her seated before you are etiquette of a gentleman the modern century!
I like demented minds. Quite frankly the art I frequently collect on my computer consists from demented images. This sounds like a must-read for me. You have one heck of a taste in comic books.
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