Jimmy Regent’s a swell guy when you get to know him, but that seems to be a bit hard to do with all the women, sex, and super spy activities that consume most of his existence. He seems to be having a ball though, and odds are you’ll get a kick out of his adventures too.
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Jimmy’s Bastards comes from AfterShock Comics, with the talented Garth Ennis at the helm. What follows is a fun and trippy walk through media’s fascination with super spies, as Ennis recruits a few of the more well-known spy tropes and lifts them up for target practice. Regent is cockiness personified, but it’s quite authentic. It’s not a facade but a way of life for him, and it helps endear him to the reader more than it probably should.
The villains he faces are out of classic molds like Auric Goldfinger, Hugo Drax, and Dr. No, though Bond never had to face a monkey with a human brain. That might be less crazy when compared to his frequent nemesis Theophilus Trigger, who’s special ability is to shout trigger words Regent’s way. Ennis has some fun with societies’ fascination with being offended, and it’s easily one of the books best traits.
The other comes in the form of Nancy McEwan. McEwan is Regent’s new partner, and it’s through her that fans start to appreciate some of those initially off-putting personality traits. For instance, she makes it clear nothing is going to happen between them, and when he says he’s not surprised she questions it. He says “One of the things about being brilliant with women: You can instantly tell when you’re not wanted.” Sure he’s cocky, but he’s also not necessarily wrong either. A few other nuggets of wisdom surface later on, and it manages to sway your investment just enough.
The characters are aided by the stellar pencils of Russ Braun. His Regent is effortlessly charming without saying a word, with just the perfect amount of smarminess. He also manages to create a smorgasbord of quirky side characters that hopefully continue to pop up throughout the series. It wouldn’t be the same without him on the book, and here’s to that not changing anytime soon.
If there is one drawback, it’s the lack of subtlety. While “Theophilus Trigger” is funny, it’s not subtle, and the book has no issue with being crass. That said, most of the jokes land, and the ones that don’t get by on the charm and charisma displayed by the book’s lead. It will be interesting to see if this character evolves over time or if this is just who he. Regardless, there’s plenty to love about Ennis’ latest creation, and you’ll definitely come out of the experience entertained.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Jimmy’s Bastards is produced by AfterShock Comics and is written by Garth Ennis with art by Russ Braun. John Kalisz provides the book’s colors and Dave Johnson created the issue’s cover. You can find the official description below.
Jimmy Regent, Britain’s number one super-spy, has got it all: intrigue, adventure, a license to shoot whoever he likes and beautiful women falling at his feet. He also has a new partner who isn’t quite as impressed by Jimmy as all other women appear to be. Now, there’s a price to pay for Jimmy’s multiple romantic conquests — the results of which are about to come calling in the worst possible way…
From the creator and writer of Preacher and The Boys comes the brand-new series that HAD to be told at AfterShock Comics.
Jimmy’s Bastards #1 hits comic shops on June 14th, 2017.
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