Errand Boys #5 - Image Comics

ERRAND BOYS No. 5, February 2019

Only briefly stopping to register the traumatic impact Jace Lopaz’s year-long stint of enforced incarcersleep has had upon the intergalactic delivery man, D.J. Kirkbride’s narrative for Issue Five of “Errand Boys” must surely have delighted its fanbase in February 2019, with its pulse-pounding depiction of the titular characters going on one last “super illegal” romp across the universe. Indeed, the slightly greying Hooman’s ‘tête-à-tête’ with a gigantic Space Manatee, coupled with his half-brother’s desperate attempt to pilot the ‘Bego single-handedly, is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this five-part mini-series, and probably had many of its loyal 1,263 readers wishing more exploits were to follow.

For starters, the action-packed sequence depicting numerous tickbroods consuming the spacecraft’s low-grade methanol fuel additive clearly demonstrates that the “hard-worn scoundrel” is still cursed with his incredible unlucky streak, despite the fact he’s now desperately trying to live up to his promise to Officer Bradley to “stay outta trouble”. Hastily donning a decidedly vulnerable-looking space-suit, the former convict’s complete disbelief that Tawnk has “never actually flown a ship before” also genuinely supplies this twenty-four page periodical with a laugh-out-moment, made all the funnier when an astonished Jace points out that the fourteen-year old extra-terrestrial has spent the past twelve month’s living with his ultra-shady boss, Bear.

Just as entertaining is the “Amelia Cole” co-writer’s subtle suggestion that even after their death-defying brush with the enormous, “mostly herbivorous”, sea cow and successful traversal of the deadly Green Space, things are still not going to turn out all that great for the two siblings. There’s a definite sense of tension in the script when the elder Lopaz both provides the formidable New Ebb security satellites with his ‘stolen’ planetary shield codes, and then later gives his Crystalline employers a noticeably nervous response when asked as to whether the pair “have such customs” as honouring their dead “on our sister planet of Old Ebb”…

Rounding off this comic’s excellent entertainment are Nikos Koutsis’ layouts, which really help imbue much of this book’s shenanigans with plenty of energetic bounce, and a solid sense of fun to boot. Jace’s brush with a ‘water hose’ shooting highly flammable fuel at a cute-looking horde of mini-manatees is particularly well-pencilled, as is Tawnk’s transformation from a ‘chip-on-the-shoulder’ Goth to a deeply-caring, blue-faced half brother.

Written by: D.J. Kirkbride, and Drawn & Colored by: Nikos Koutsis

Errand Boys #4 - Image Comics

ERRAND BOYS No. 4, January 2019

Featuring far less action-packed exploits than this mini-series’ preceding instalments, at least once Jace Tiberius Lopaz voluntarily surrenders himself to the intergalactic police that is, D.J. Kirkbride’s script for Issue Four of “Errand Boys” might have caused a few members of its 1,518 strong audience a moment of consternation as to just where his twenty-eight page plot was heading. Fortunately however, any such anxieties should soon have been forgotten once the court sentences the thirty-year old delivery man “to a one for ten incarcersleep” for ruining Moh Fud’s family heirloom and this comic focuses upon the early life the “hard-worn scoundrel” dreams he always wanted to have.

Indeed, the writer of “The Bigger Bang” manages to weave a truly enthralling spell with this publication, fleshing out many of Lopaz’s biggest regrets by penning the events as having a hugely positive result upon Jace’s existence, as opposed to the detrimental damage they caused him in the real world. As a result, the reader experiences the anguish the “lifelong solo act” experienced when his mother fell dangerously ill in hospital, but then blissful relief when he believes the expensive procedure needed to save her life is going to be paid for by his estranged father.

This intervention by the dad Jace clearly wishes he had had clearly then sets him up for “a whole different life”, with the two titular characters in particular enjoying a close, brotherly bond despite the seemingly inseparable duo being of dissimilar ages and having very different mothers. Lopaz’s relationship with his pop is also fascinatingly pleasant, due in large to the young human attending Upper Ebb University and achieving an educational qualification, courtesy of his moustached parent helping the graduate finance his scholarship.

Of course, this wonderful world instantly comes crashing down around Jace’s head once his incarcersleep ends, and the convicted felon realises he’s simply suffering from “some residual brain activity.” Prodigiously pencilled by Nikos Koutsis, who manages to sketch some delightful “Star Wars” Easter Eggs into the odd panel, this scene is passionately-parcelled full of raw, emotional heartache as Lopaz realises everything he remembers was a falsehood, and begs for his slightly inconsiderate custodians to keep him imprisoned; “I was… My life -- That life… Don’t wanna leave!”

Written by: D.J. Kirkbride, and Drawn & Colored by: Nikos Koutsis

Errand Boys #3 - Image Comics

ERRAND BOYS No. 3, December 2018

Despite its titular characters spending a significant portion of this twenty-two page periodical being tied up awaiting a decidedly grisly death, D.J. Kirkbride’s script for Issue Three of “Errand Boys” must still have quickened the pulse-rates of its 1,849 readers in December 2018, with his fascinatingly emotional insight into the life-long failings of Jace Lopaz. True, some of this self-reflection simply goes to show what an utterly incompetent delivery man the “lifelong solo act” really is, as time slows down around him and the "hard-worn scoundrel” disconcertingly discovers that the the increased speed of his thought processes does not provide "some cool realisation of how to save to day.” But for the most part, the thirty-year old man’s meditations revolve around just how badly he’s misled his half-brother, and how much he seemingly regrets doing so; “The full weight of bringing a little tweener into this kind of world and life is hitting Jace: Hard.”

Fortunately however, the “writer on Image's Eisner and Harvey Award-winning Popgun anthologies” doesn’t dwell upon such dark feelings to the detriment of this publication’s pleasing pace, as he cleverly intermixes the scenes set within the confines of a wooden cage with plenty of tongue-in-cheek cannibalistic shenanigans, courtesy of the incredibly colourful dirt pirates. These evidently ravenous criminals are quite wonderfully penned, and are clearly armed with all manner of spices, seasoning, cooking options and even a “booze hat.”

In addition, once Jace does manage to escape from his captors and Tawnk cuts the baby vazgog free, then things really do start to heat up to the point where the creative team’s aspiration for this comic to develop into a “critical darling for those looking to add a high-octane adventure story to their pull-list” definitely becomes a reality. The Lopaz brothers’ headlong dash for freedom is phenomenally frantic and even manages to become extra heroic once the blue-skinned Theian convinces his older sibling to snatch “the big one’s cleaver” and turn their escape into a bona fide rescue mission.

Imbuing all this soul-searching and sense-shattering monkeyshines with plenty of alluring animation are Nikos Koutsis’ story-boards, which help enormously in depicting both the adolescent worry upon poor Tawnk’s face at the deadly dilemma he finds himself in, as well as the hair-raising foot-chase through an utterly chaotic cut-throats camp towards the end of this book. The Greek artist also draws a mean dirt pirate, with the band of criminals coming in all physical shapes, sizes and palettes.

Written by: D.J. Kirkbride, and Drawn & Colored by: Nikos Koutsis

Errand Boys #2 - Image Comics

ERRAND BOYS No. 2, November 2018

Firmly focusing upon Jace Lopaz’s first interstellar errand with his younger half-brother, Tawnk, D.J. Kirkbridge’s narrative for Issue Two of “Errand Boys” must have had a fair share of its 2,957 strong audience repeatedly face-palming themselves in humorous horror at some of the monumentally poor decisions the “hard-worn scoundrel” makes, and then laughing out loud at the fun-packed consequences of those self-same catastrophic choices. In fact, the thirty-year-old human makes such a complete mess of his mission to “land on dumpy planet, snag baby bird-thing, bring it back to old Ebb, [and] collect money” that it’s incredible to believe the delivery man has managed to survive amidst the vastness of space single-handedly for as many years as he already has; “What’s this bit about Mauslio being the preferred campground for dirt pirates..?”

Fortunately however, such a complete disregard for the safety, legality and even morality of any given situation allows the American author to conjure up a plethora of truly amusing set-pieces for this comic’s audience to enjoy, whether it be simply young Tawnk being violently ill in the cockpit of his guardian’s spaceship following its sling-shot launch, an exhilarating flight for freedom from the custody of law enforcement officer Bradley, or a glorious foot-chase across a deadly planet with naught for protection but a “water-damaged cardboard box and tape.” These continuous calamities really do a great job of quickly endearing the young, blue-skinned alien to this book’s bibliophiles, and also, surprisingly, produce a similar response concerning Jace, despite the so-called responsible caretaker’s somewhat callous incompetence.

Adding to this charming concoction of high-risk jinks and pulse-pounding pursuits, are Nikos Koutsis’ excellent layouts, which are simply packed full of detail and geek-related trivia. Indeed, the Greek artist’s sense-shattering space race to evade the long arm of the inter-galactic law is worth this comic’s cover price alone, courtesy of some superb cameos by a time-travelling British Police Telephone Box, a distinctly Corellian-looking damaged light freighter, an Imperial Star Destroyer, the partially-recognisable remains of a Tie-Fighter, and a certain Constitution-class Federation starship.

Perhaps this publication’s most poignant piece though is its remarkably well titled “Look Out! It’s A Backup Story”, which really helps bring the plight of the significantly endangered Vazgogs into sharp relief. Unable to do anything more than watch her mate be brutally gunned down by an ambushing posse of pirates, this tear-jerker of a tale depicts both the sheer emotional anguish felt by the main story's lead antagonist, as well as the birth of the baby bird the Lopaz brothers have disagreeably abducted from its distraught mother.

Written by: D.J. Kirkbride, and Drawn & Colored by: Nikos Koutsis

Errand Boys #1 - Image Comics

ERRAND BOYS No. 1, October 2018

In many ways it must have been quite hard for this comic’s audience to appreciate that D.J. Kirkbride’s inspiration for Issue One of “Errand Boys” was predominantly “all the non-Jedi bits of Star Wars… filled with scoundrels and no-goods who maybe secretly have hearts of gold”, as this five-issue mini-series’ opening instalment reads more like an episode of Matt Groening’s American animated sitcom “Futurama” than something found within a galaxy far, far away. Indeed, despite his heterochromia iridium, the thirty-year old Jace Lopaz could arguably be seen as little more than an older clone of Professor Farnsworth’s intergalactic delivery boy Philip J. Fry, as the rascal proves to be both an abject failure in his nefarious missions and maintaining a relationship with his extra-terrestrial love, Max; “Because, like you said, we’re not official, and, honestly…? I don’t want us to be. You’re not partner material.”

However, whatever this twenty-two page periodical’s stimulus was, the American author’s narrative certainly starts with plenty of pulse-pounding panels which undoubtedly grab the attention and make it abundantly clear that the “lifelong solo act” has only survived for so long because he somehow has the ‘luck of the gods’ when it comes to not breaking his neck or getting blown to smithereens by pop-guns. Interestingly though, the same unbelievable good fortune cannot be applied to the two-bit crook’s daily money-making shenanigans, as his appalling choice of merchandise container demonstrates when he unthinkingly leaps into a swimming pool so as to evade capture whilst carrying a cardboard box full of highly valuable baseball collector cards. 

Resultantly, for the first half of this publication Lopaz arguably comes across as little more than an idiotic, somewhat dislikeable self-centred scallywag who is seemingly being penned just for laughs by his co-creator, such as when he apparently seeks solace in Max’s left-over potato fries following his intermittent girl-friend’s permanent departure. But following Jace’s surprising decision to do the right thing by taking custody for his thirteen-year old half-brother Tawnk “full-time”, that opinion somewhat sympathetically shifts, even when it becomes clear that the “Errand Runner” probably sees his sibling as little more than extra-help by taking him straight out of school and starting the blue-skinned boy’s education on “the low, low streets of Old Ebb!”

Perhaps this comic’s biggest asset though is Nikos Koutsis’ excellently animated artwork, which despite being rather cartoony at times, really brings an extra element of energy to Kirkbride’s proceedings. In fact, much of Max’s disgust at her significantly souring relationship with the “spoof goof” and Tawnk’s understandable grief at having lost both of his parents so suddenly, is conveyed through the two characters’ well-defined facial expressions and enlivened body gestures, rather than any specifically uttered dialogue.

The regular cover art of "ERRAND BOYS" No. 1 by Nikos Koutsis & Mike Toris