The First Two Issues Tell You All You Need To Know
This really unusual comic book series starts with an old school detective, full noir-style right down to his long, brown trench coat, shirt and tie, and hat. That would make sense in a series like “Broadway is my Beat” or “Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar” – radio shows from the 1950’s. But, this poor guy is not in that timeline. In fact, he’s entrenched in a future city where cybernetics rule and “normies” are the vulnerable minority.
He has a mysterious trait that most people in his environment would consider a curse. He breaks the technology he comes into contact with. We meet him in a bar for cyber-enhanced individuals, and he quickly puts that trait on display by dismantling an attacker. That puts him square in the sights of some dangerous individuals.
Fortunately for him, he manages to disable the compliance chip on a full-on cyborg assassin. She is a devotee of the old-timey stories, seeing the wife or female partner as a traditional, subservient wife. In an instant, she goes from trying to kill him to being his ultimate protector.
The juxtaposition works. He’s gritty and independent – a loner who hates technology. She’s June Cleaver, but with actual cybernetic capabilities to cleave people in half. It’s an absurd partnership that writer Anthony Stokes uses as a playground. The stories can go absolutely anywhere. Exploring the vast cybernetic landscape while staying true to the Raymond Chandler-style writing provides readers with a delightful experience.
Stokes takes full advantage of this color pallete to make the protagonist feel as noir as any who have ever appeared in a cyberpunk story. Our protagonist is a throwback to the golden age of TV and radio detective stories. He is a Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe transported into Mike Pondsmith’s dystopian world of cyber dependence. There are some serious Rick Deckard vibes in there, too.
Artist Jack Dunne and colorist Maximo did everything possible to transport me back to 90’s anime and 80’s Cyberpunk tabletop roleplaying. The blues, pinks, and reds absolutely take the reader into an immersive experience that allows the action to feel fantastic and cybernetic.
Issue two changes the art style, ramping up the sexuality of the series. That’s still on brand for all things cyberpunk. The pin-ups or alternate covers are much closer to Dawn or Vampirella than the mainly cartoonish style of issue one. The second issue is mostly a chase scene, but there are some body horror moments, a mysterious stranger, and some really wild and violent moments.
The folks over at Fire Ant Entertainment are really brewing up a signature, amazing title with this series. Two issues are nowhere near enough to explore what this series is setting up. It’s like someone took Bewitched and Altered Carbon and threw it into a blender, only to achieve everything they could possibly picture.
My Girlfriend is a Cyborg Assassin is available at Fire Ant Entertainment’s official site.