Babs #1, by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, isn’t the parody you think it is. On the surface, this looks like a straightforward take on Red Sonja and other she-devils with swords. But what the new comic by AHOY Comics actually is, is an absolute skewering of comic book fans and reboot culture. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny and packed to the brim with the duo’s requisite profane humor.
Here’s the gist of the story, and spoilers past this point. In the issue, we meet Babs, a barbarian and a thief with a past she’s trying to run away from. She’s got a mostly useless talking sword, and a talking horse as well… Though the horse only seems able to communicate with other horses. She’s also flat broke, and trying to scrape together enough money to get a chainmail bikini that doesn’t chafe.
So far, so good. This is your classic wandering adventurer tale with a slacker vibe… There are hints of dragons and magical creatures, but mostly Babs wanders through the woods, drinks at taverns, and doesn’t get much done.
Where the story snaps into place is the introduction of a character named Mork the Orc and his gang of “dudes” who don’t like it when male characters are replaced by female characters. Pretty much everything that happens from that point forward is merciless when it comes to online trolls — or literal trolls, in this case — who object to “things changing.” Based on events that happen later in the book, this particular brand of satire isn’t going to stop anytime soon. If anything, Ennis doubles down by the end of the issue, showing how “fans” can go from objecting to diversification of media to being radicalized by the right wing.
And who better to tackle that than Ennis, a writer whose work has often been misconstrued by its surface qualities — raunchy, violent, sacrilegious — rather than looking deeper into the sometimes very obvious points he’s making in his stories? Ennis knows these types very well, and while Babs is the title character it’s clear Mork is who he’s targeting here.
Add in Burrows, who as usual perfectly compliments Ennis’s writing. His Disney-style talking cartoon sword contrasts perfectly with the absolute filth Ennis is putting in the character’s mouth. Babs may be a parody of Red Sonja, but she comes into her own visually throughout the issue. And little details in the corner like a fox bonking its head while missing a rabbit it was trying to eat are as funny as anything else in the script.
This book is yet another winner for AHOY. And given the publisher’s firm grip on the satire market, it’s almost surprising it took this long for Ennis and Burrows to jump on board. Babs is the perfect mix of publisher and creative team, and I can’t wait to see where this all goes… At least until they reboot it, because I hate when that happens.
Babs #1 is in comic book stores on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.
Babs #1 Rating:
Babs #1 Official Synopsis:
From legendary writer Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) and superstar artist Jacen Burrows (Crossed, The Punisher): Meet BABS, a barbarian thief with an itchy metal wardrobe and the world’s worst enchanted sword (named Barry). Together they travel a fantastic landscape of wizards, dragons, demons, castles—and a band of very angry, very white knights. Babs wasn’t looking for a fight, but she’s never found a bad situation she couldn’t make 100 times worse! Featuring variant covers by Chris Burnham (Batman Inc.) and Amanda Conner (Harley Quinn).
