This issue of Big Trouble is unrepentant in its awesomeness. It’s Jack Burton versus the probably dimwitted demons of Hell as he tries to plan his escape. Powell goes for humor the entire issue–so much so, when Jack gets into a fight at the end, it’s hard to see there being any danger.
And that cartoon aspect of the comic has become one of its pluses. Big Trouble isn’t straight-faced at all, but it often deals with “serious” issues (well, mostly just its cast being in danger); the silliness (and Powell’s attention to character detail) puts it past being a successful licensed comic and into its own territory.
In many ways–though it’s impossible see imagine this comic coming out in the eighties–it feels more like the movie is an adaptation of this comic than the other way around.
There’s some lovely, fun Churilla Hell art too.
CREDITS
Writers, John Carpenter and Eric Powell; artist, Brian Churilla; colorist, Gonzalo Duarte; letterer, Ed Dukeshire; editors, Alex Galer and Ian Brill; publisher, Boom! Studios.
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