Review: The Scumbag #5
[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]
Writer: Rick Remender
Artist: Wes Craig, Nic Klein, Davi Go
Letters:Â Rus Wooten
Colors: Moreno Dinisio
Reviewed by: Carl Bryan
Summary
“I’ve got Mother F@#$%^& laser fingers!” – Ernie Ray Clementine – The Scumbag
The Scumbag #5- ““JAZZ APPLE ARMAGEDDON,” Conclusion
Ernie discovers that the world is full of bad people doing bad things, but can he ditch a lifelong apolitical lifestyle and help the good guys win, or will he continue to be an apathetic, self-serving scumbag?
Positives
Wes Craig takes over the reins for Scumbag in this issue. Even though we are dealing with one of the most grossest humans ever in any form of literature, there is a big appreciation for drawing him with panache and style. Lot’s of battle scenes and explosions adorn these pages as it is the conclusion of Jazz Apple Armageddon.
Speaking of the conclusion, what a premise. How does a company deal with the homeless and poverty problem. Why simply give them jobs, promise them benefits in the interview, and then suck them up with big vacuum tools that deposit them into a vat of chemicals that turn them into an environmental friendly fuel.
Geesh…who are the Scumbags?
Positives 2.0
Rick Remender really put up a strong conclusion to this chapter of the Scumbag. Who would have thought that this was the direction we would go. The elements of this character are deplorable, but he is surrounded by such great characters and props, this works.
Don’t get me wrong.  Ernie Ray is horrible. But Remender gives him that flying Trans Am and a sex robot with a conscious. His wonderful handler agent, Sister Mary, finally makes some headway with this hard headed drug using hippie. Maybe this is a sign of redemption, but something tells me that Image has a hit on its hands.
So don’t look for Ernie Ray to stray too far from his devilish ways…powers or no powers.
Negatives
You get what you get with Ernie Ray. If you are picking this issue up, then make sure you get the preceding issues. When you drink from Ernie Ray’s story, it is because you have a taste for it. Toilets, drugs, orgies and somewhere along the line, there is saving the world.
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! If you want to catch up, be on the lookout for the trade paperback Cocaine Finger. That tells you all you need to know right there!
