Johnny Raygun Quarterly #4

Posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2005
By: Steve Saville

Cover of Johnny Raygun Quarterly #4 Creator(s): Rich Woodall and Matt Talbot
Publishers: Jetpack Press
From: USA
Price: $2.95 (US)

A diverse issue this time form the Johnny Raygun crew. The main story, If a tree Falls in Space, Can Anyone hear it Scream? goes over familiar Raygun territory. We have an interesting new villain, The Planter. We have some good fight scenes matched with dynamic action art. We have plenty of verbal interplay including jokes about midgets and jealousy. We have Johnny being clueless and heroic, often at the same time. All this presented with art-work that is pleasing to the eye and often imaginative. It's all good stuff, familiar to Raygun readers sure, but still good stuff.

The plot continues on from the previous edition but still operates well as a stand alone story. In this edition Johnny has to battle bad guys and still find time to contact his girlfriend, as I said familiar territory.

The real gems in this comic though are the two supporting stories. The first and longer of these is called Who is the Electrolucha? It deals with the problems that arise when two would- be super villains adopt the same persona. The second is a delightfully drawn comic that looks at Johnny being relegated to a newspaper delivery boy. The reference back to the type of advertisements that appeared in the old school comics such as Gold Key, Marvel etc. is guaranteed to bring a smile.

Johnny Raygun remains a great title. It verges on being little repetitive in places and this could affect its longevity. For the present though it remains fresh. Of particular note, there is a real strength in the writing, which is witty and well paced.

I continue to warm to Johnny and look forward to future developments.

In a Word: Familiar.



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