“I’m a ghost. Here to give you sage advice from beyond the grave. You know, like in Star Wars.” – Egg
This issue opens with our hero in Palatka, Florida. Jack’s on a roller-coaster, but he’s not enjoying life. A wretched antagonist is enjoying, almost gloating over the fact that he’s finally managed to silence Jack Burton… by killing all of his loved ones. The Germans call this Schadenfreude. His old pal Egg has returned, as a ghost, and tells him that he must defeat Lo-Pan before he invades heaven and destroys the souls of those he holds dear, like Wang and himself.
The Creative Team:
This is one manic issue as Jack reluctantly accepts his latest mission and he’s immediately being tortured by familiar enemies. Carpenter and Burch bring Burton to the brink of despair as he’s longing for death. He even bargains with an old enemy and wants him to complete his current mission and in exchange he tells the antagonist that he can be known of as the man who killed Jack Burton. Jack’s old and doesn’t like being the savior of the universe much anymore. Great stuff includes Jack standing before the pearly gates. And the simple way that he gets there in the first place.
Jorge Corona is the perfect fit to the writers words. His over the top style compliments the zaniness of this title. It’s a cartoony approach to an oversized cartoon. the looks on the characters faces when delivering the one liners is priceless and I can’t see anyone else rendering the Big Burton anywhere near as good as Corona. Highlights include The opening rollercoaster ride and the entrance to the celestial city.
In Conclusion:
As one of the few that has actually seen Big Trouble in Little China in the theater (3 times) I was so hoping for more adventures with this unique Kurt Russel/John Carpenter character. I was disappointed when I read that the box office wasn’t good enough to warrant a sequel. I find this creation just as good as Snake Plisken or Macready. I thought the franchise was dead. But Boom comics took a chance and brought the franchise from the movie theatre to the printed page of comic bookdom. Burton’s over the top attitude is perfect for this medium and I’m one that still hopes to see Kurt Russel reprise the role of Jack Burton on the silver screen, and Old Man Jack might just be the catalyst to seeing that happen! **** (9.2 rating)
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Writer – John Carpenter, Anthony Burch
Art – Jorge Corona
Colors – Gabriel Cassata
Letters – Ed Dukeshire
Publisher – Boom
Author Profile
- Kevin Given has studied with “ Longridge Writers Group †and “ Writer’s Boot Camp †a speech/communications major from the University of Maine Presque-Isle/Orono sites. He has created the “ Karl Vincent Vampire Hunter †franchise which includes novels and comic books. They can be found on amazon, Indyplanet and Kindle. For a limited time you can get digital copies of “ Karl Vincent: Vampire hunter †# 1 and “ Files of Karl Vincent †# 1 for free on Indyplanet. Kevin is producing the third novel in the series “ Dracula Rising †(working title) and developing “ Foul Blood †into comic book form. Don't forget to check out the YouTube show " Comics: Let's Talk " hosted by Kevin Given
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