Review: The Scumbag #3
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
 Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Eric Powell, Moreno Dinisio
Letters:Â Rus Wooten
Colors: Moreno Dinisio Â
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
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Summary
“It’s not the size of the penis…it’s the depth of the vagina!” – Ernie Ray Clementine – The Scumbag
Positives
First…one of the things I have admired about this story is the cleverness of the title “Jazz Apple Armageddon” but then we get into some of the nastiest tirades from Ernie Ray. The guy cannot get out of the way of himself and his adventure continues in the heat of battle in the midst of setting off a “golden bomb”.Â
No, it’s not some type of urination bomb, but an actual bomb that will turn people into gold. Rick Remender has outdone himself in this series, and while the artists are on a rotation, Remender is still at the helm writing this adventure!Â
Again, I cannot imagine the research Remender has put in to even put a character like this into being as he is an amalgamation of all that can go wrong in one’s life from a myriad of perspectives. However, given the fictional government The Scumbag works for, who in their right mind spends tax dollars on a yellow souped up Trans-Am and a robot that will be a sex slave?
Positives 2.0
Eric Powell and Moreno Dinisio take over the pencil duties for this issue. Their lines and backgrounds are softer than what was depicted by the duo of Lewis LaRosa, and Moreno Dinisio. Â
LaRosa clearly baited the hook for readers of the first and second issues as his art was so vivid and depicted all the seediness of The Scumbag’s actions and environment. Powell’s pencils have softened the shock of the Scumbag, thus this issue doesn’t pack quite the punch artistically as the preceding ones.
That does take away from the graphic nature of Ernie Ray, and makes him more “comedic” than “gross”. Powell is a wonderful artist, but given the precedent he follows, it just didn’t work in this issue!
Negatives
This issue relies on the shock nature of the writing versus the art! I liked the art better in #1 and #2 as it conveyed everything you needed to know about The Scumbag. This issue is more “comedic” and doesn’t draw you in like the preceding two.Â
The story takes a softer turn by rotating artists, but I’m all in as I figure out if Ernie Ray can even find one shred of altruistic value in what he is now capable of doing!
Verdict
If you are into something really really different and you like uncomfortable clashes, this is your book. You’ll laugh and wince and roll your eyes. Get in on the ground floor of Scumbag! Â
