I used to try to figure out a timeline that would fit all the Kurt Russell’s characters into one long weird story. It would be the tale of a boy who grew up in the jungles of Gilligan’s Island and was rescued by an evil corporation/government agency that turned him into the Computer That Wore Tennis Shoes. But they lost track of him after he escaped and hid as a Used Car salesman and a trucker. They found him after he caused Big Trouble in Little China. Then they retrained him as a Soldier who they eventually had to send in to help the president Escape from New York.
Apparently, Greg Pak (World War Hulk, Storm, Action Comics) read my mind and edited it down until he came up with a good idea: Big Trouble in Little China/Escape from New York. With issue #3, we are halfway though the six issue series.
Snake Plissken, Jack Burton and the rest of the survivors camp outside of Cleveland while they try to figure out a safe way to get to Toronto, one of the last remaining cities. While there they discover that the magic scroll they used to bring Jack Burton to this world was lost during their tussle with Lo Pan and his minions.
It turns out that Lo Pan has been busy with the scroll. Snake Plisskens from multiple universes attack them. There’s a giant Plissken with an ax, along with a cyborg Plissken, a lady Plissken, a midget Plissken and one that is an actual giant snake. After a brief fight, the survivors start to make their escape when they are forced to deal with the combined bad decision-making skills of Jack Burton and the original Snake Plissken.
Pak is clearly having a great time with this series and it shows. The story is packed with action that drives everything forward, but leaves plenty of rooms for the jokes. Daniel Bayliss’ (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, WWE: Then, Now, Forever) art also packs in the humor while clearly depicting the hellscape these guys are stuck in. I am surprised in how much story these guys are able to fit into each issue.
In addition to pure plot, these guys have spent time developing the characters, so that we are glad when they spend what little downtime they have celebrating their temporary escape. It brings out more than one side of the characters. Even the multiple Plissken’s get some short time to talk to each other. You can’t help get the feeling that Lo Pan doesn’t realize it might not be the best idea to create an army out of a bunch of double-crossing thieves.
This has been a really fun and enjoyable series so far and I am looking forward to seeing how the second half of it turns out.
[yasr_overall_rating]
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Daniel Bayliss
Colors: Triona Farrell
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
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- Sent from the future by our Robot Ape overlords to preserve the timeline. Reading and writing about comics until the revolution comes. All hail the Orangutan Android Solar King!
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