Sgt. Flag Meets Tomorrow Girl #1 - G-Man Comics

SGT. FLAG MEETS TOMORROW GIRL No. 1, June 2024

Potentially viewed by some as just a straightforward, tongue-in-cheek romp “across the Indieverse” which highlights the super-heroic rosters of several other self-publishing authors, Rik Offenberger’s narrative for Issue One of “Sgt. Flag Meets Tomorrow Girl” is arguably so much more, largely thanks to the comic’s insights into the likes of Christopher Lewis Squires and Mummy Girl. Indeed, the Federal Bureau of Investigation operative and his four thousand-year-old comrade-in-arms debatably steal this book’s show, with the perplexing pair sticking together through ‘thick and thin’, even after they’re seemingly stranded for all eternity in the Superverse.

Much of this attraction is undoubtedly due to the strong sense of loyalty displayed by Agent Squires, and the heavily-bandaged undead Egyptian’s willingness to sacrifice her supernatural life essence so as to get their profoundly fatiguing joint mission completed. Coupled with some enjoyable, cheeky banter between the duo towards the periodical’s end, and this mutual respect for one another’s strong sense of professionalism and honour quite literally leaps off the printed page.

Rivalling this ‘double act’ though are the titular characters, who provide both a brisk, whistlestop tour of “G-Man Comics” more enigmatic and mythical realms, as well as some genuinely laugh-out-loud one-liners; “Leave me the %@!£*$ alone! I gotta job to do!” The ever foul-mouthed Rob McFarlane proves especially grumpy during the twosome’s furious, headlong chase to capture the fiendishly fast Cockroach, and few bibliophiles will surely fail to take a modicum of pleasure from Sgt. Flag rather satisfyingly winding the criminal teleporter with a brutal blow to the belly, when he finally catches him up.

Probably this publication’s biggest draw however, may well lie within José Henrique Pereira’s marvellous layouts. Richly coloured by Teo Pinheiro, Hique’s prodigious pencilling appears to incorporate as many elaborately attired caped crime-fighters as the Brazilian can muster within each individual panel, and resultantly generates a vibrant, heavily-pigmented feast for the audience’s eyes. In addition, the merging of Tomorrow Girl’s Manga-looking world with the much more traditional sketched style of McFarlane’s universe is achieved with plenty of panache and aplomb, making neither protagonist jarringly stand out whilst residing within the other crusader for justice’s respective dimension.

Written by Rik Offenberger, with Jim Burrows & Eric N. Bennett contributing