Smash #1 is a mash-up of classic British spy characters, all after the same MacGuffin. But how does the 2000 AD title from Paul Grist and Anna Morozova work for our American reviewers?
We reviewed the book on the Stack podcast. But in the interest of highlighting more about the title, here’s a summary of the conversation with our thoughts. And if you prefer the longer audio version, that’s below as well!
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Smash #1 Review:
In the issue, a bunch of super-spy thieves are all after the same relic in a museum, leading to a comedy of errors that quickly spiral out of control.
Host Alex Zalben called the book “ludicrous,” and compared it to MAD Magazine meets Pink Panther. “It gets goofy, it gets very weird,” Zalben said complimentarily.
Pete LePage added that he “loves the art style… Cool looking characters, [a] fun twist. I love the action.”
Focusing more on the art, LePage added that “this comic [has] a really unique look to it, which jumps out at you. I’m excited for more of this.”
Without getting into spoilers for the issue, Zalben noted that “I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it for the first couple of pages. We start in the past before we jump to the present, but once it starts snowballing out of control with more and more thieves trying to go after the same thing,” it really kicked into high gear.
Continuing to try to describe the tone, Zalben called out the “goofiness” and “ridiculousness” mixed with “a little steampunk… If that is your jam… Stick with it, at least for the first half of the issue, once it’s rocking and rolling.”
Smash #1 is out 10/18 in the UK and on digital, and 11/29 in the United States from 2000AD.
Smash #1 Official Synopsis:
In Victorian London, when Janus Stark traps a demon in a stone idol he creates a prize too alluring for criminal masterminds to resist, and 60 years later the King of Crooks organizes his Crime Syndicate to heist the statuette. However, The Steel Claw and Jane Bond are assigned to halt the theft, but they encounter a mysterious stranger who throws both sides’ plans into disarray.
A fast-paced action-adventure miniseries written by Paul Grist (Jack Staff) and with art by Tom Foster (Judge Dredd) and Anna Morozova (2000 AD) featuring a host of classic British comic book characters brought back to life in this 3-part miniseries.
