Review: Baby Badass #1

Before I read Baby Badass (Action Lab Comics), I saw the write up about it in Previews magazine. It sounded like it could be right up my ally. The concept of a baby, who happens to be skilled in the art of decapitation and heart eating, is just the right kind of absurdity for me. This first issue in the comic series definitely delivered on the ridiculousness, but I did feel just a bit let down when it was all said and done.

Writer D.E. Schrader, presents to us a world, in the not too distant future, where we now live in The United States Under God. We“re instantly introduced to our heroine, Joey, who is new at the local desert strip club full of bikers in the middle of nowhere. She works for a total slob of a misogynist who treats her like dirt. From page one she is depicted as innocent and dumb. After finding a sleeping baby near a cactus across from the club, she does the right thing to rescue it, only to later find that it has a blood lust only massive carnage can satisfy.

I really wanted to like this comic. In fact, I still wish I could. The problem however, is that it plays out like a second tier Troma film. There is plenty of objectifying women, and none of it comes across as ironic. This is evident in the art of Tim Larsen, as he really exaggerates in his portrayal of women in this book.
I do detect the humor I was looking for, the tagline in the title “He didn“t ask to be born,”“ is hilarious. I“m not sure where the comic plans to take readers in future issues, but it“s witty enough to potentially have some type of redemption planned for later. I say this, realizing it“s a comic about a baby who snuffs the life out of a full biker bar, but I digress.

Baby Badass had a lot of opportunity to make me a fan but missed. It could have been as amazing as Shirtless Bear Fighter, which was equally absurd, but it chose to go a different route. The world presented in this comic does not seem like one I would want to visit, but I do really applaud the initial idea.

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer(s):Â D.E. Schrader, Kristian Horn
Artist Name(s):Â Tim LarsenÂ

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Bryan Spaulding

In his free time, other than reading comic books, Bryan enjoys listening to his ever growing record collection and driving his 27 year old roadster named Mingo.