I like to think I am pretty tapped into the Canadian comic scene. I do my best to stay in touch with Canadian comic book creators and know who is doing what and when. But recently I was reminded that this country is big. And there are pockets of this great nation that I don’t have eyes and ears on. Case in point. At the recent Hal-Con sci-fi convention in lovely Halifax, Nova Scotia, a new Canadian comic book publisher introduced three of their new comics and I was taken completely by surprise.
Grandway Comics from veteran animators and lovers of 1960’s comic books Derek Jessome and Jeff Knott premiered The Street Fighting Man #1, Grand Adventure #1 and Space Cowboy & the Triumphanteers #1. As soon as I found out about these books I made a mad mouse-clicking dash to their website and bought all three digital downloads. I’ll be honest though, real life got in the way and I was only able to read one book this weekend and it was Space Cowboy & the Triumphanteers #1. But man o’ man was it a great comic. Harkening back to the 1960’s Marvel era of comics, Space Cowboy hits every possible nostalgia nerve you could imagine.
“Space Cowboy’s arch-nemesis Babyhead has compiled a criminal cabal of super-enemies (3-Face, Mew-Man, Actiongirl & Riff Raff) to thwart the cosmic lawman and his heroic team of super-adventurers, the mighty Triumphanteers (Micro-Woman, Mega-Girl, Jungleman & Scubaman)! What is the secret of the lost super-weapon Babyhead has discovered beneath Grandway Harbour? Will Mega-Girl pass her exam on advanced calculus theory? What lies at the heart of Space cowboy’s cryptic nightmares? Will Grandway City ever be the same???”
The art in Space Cowboys is by Jeff and Derek and their animation roots show. Super professional with a retro style that just makes the book a delight to look at. Having also written the book, Derek and Jeff introduce a bevvy of hilarious characters with Mew-Man being my favourite of the supporting cast. The puns, the plot, the characters, they are all a loving homage to a by-gone era in comics without being too cheesy. Colours by Rick Laffin are brilliantly retro as well with Rick using plenty of solid colours and almost none of that heavy shading we see today. There is even a little Kirby Krackle tucked in here and there! Lettering by Bruce Brett is clean and tight with wonderful “kraks” and “thunks” highlighting the action. And that brilliant cameo from two of the era’s greats!
A seriously fun book, an exciting new Canadian publisher, fun and brilliant homage to Marvel’s heyday, what more can a guy like me ask for? Maybe physical copies, maybe? Head on over to https://www.grandwaycomics.com and download your Grandway comics today! Heck, I even bought a t-shirt while I was there.
Issue: Space Cowboy & the Triumphanteers #1 | Publisher: Grandway Comics
Writers: Jeff Knott & Derek Jessome | Artists: Jeff Knott, Derek Jessome & Rick Laffin
Lettering: Bruce Brett | Editor: Traci Manzer
Price: 99¢ – 32 pages
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