The letters from Crank! further bolster the strengths of this creative team. Passalaqua’s work gives life to the art and helps keep it both grounded while enhancing the absurdity. From the bright red sprays of blood to the lovely warmth of a setting sun behind the town. Additionally, the colors from Allen Passalaqua are lovely. When paired with talking flowers and giant dogs it only serves to make Battlepug #1 all the more wonderfully surreal.

Norton does not shy away from showing blood spraying from severed limbs. The art, also from Mike Norton, is the perfect complement to the odd story. When you compound this with the silliness of the overall setting, it makes for fun reading. But we live in absurd times and thus this absurdist approach feels, somehow, appropriate. In other times this may have been a little heavy-handed and as a result not as effective. The parallels between this puppet, and his words, considering the current political situation in the United States are clear. This is done through Covfefe and the citizens of Ashkum. But through this absurdism, Norton clearly wants to show the parallels to our world as well. This is a world where people can communicate through gigantic floral arrangements, where dogs are sometimes capable of speech, and other times large enough to be ridden. The story from Mike Norton is pure high fantasy absurdism. But soon the Kinmundian is summoned by an old friend and it seems danger is just over the horizon. Thankfully the Kinmundian is there to save the day and put a stop to the bizarre machinations of Covfefe and his handler. However, Covfefe also orders a man to be killed when it is pointed out that he is simply a puppet.

As the newly “elected” governor of Ashkum he promises to fix all of the problems that the city faces. There, a man speaks to them through a puppet on his hand named Covfefe. The group has just arrived at the city of Ashkum.Īs they enter through the main gates, a crowd has assembled. Her two talking dog companions, Colfax and Mingo, are along for the ride. The perspective then shifts to a woman, Moll, riding the great Battlepug as the Kinmundian walks beside her. But even as he reflects, he acknowledges that the time for justice is over. He speaks of adventures past and the lessons he has learned. The story begins with the last Kinmundian who is alone and stranded in a snowstorm. It comes from the creative team of writer and artist Mike Norton, colorist Allen Passalaqua, and letterer Crank!. Battlepug #1 is published by Image Comics.

Battlepug (2019) #1 by Mike Norton