Written by: Joshua Hale Fialkov
Art by: Kody Chamberlain
Publisher: Image
Punks is a really hard comic to review. It’s not so much that it’s divisive in its material, it’s just that it has a very narrow audience. Basically, you’re going to either get it and love it or you’re going to hate it. There’s simply no in between with a title like this.
As far as the good goes, let me just say that Punks continues to have one of the most aesthetically pleasing art styles currently. This third issue continues the style of using a scrapbook like motif that fully embraces the sort of DIY feel it’s going for. Basically, it looks like someone cuts and pastes faces and various items into various scenes which creates a sort of disjointed and chaotic feel which perfectly suits the chaotic stories of each comic. The art is by far the best thing about Punks and that’s the one thing that I sincerely hope never changes (although let’s be real, even if it did it would suit the comic thematically).
Unfortunately, that sort of chaotic storytelling is where the comic tends to fall flat for me. Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love when it hits gold. This issue has a pretty involved plot that pokes fun at McCarthy Communist hunts but the build up is fairly drawn out and annoying which is odd considering this is a comic where pretty much anything is allowed to happen at any time.
A bunch of Baldwins and Sean Connery make appearances this issue as well which is a pretty great and hilarious inclusion and this is where the genius of Joshua Hale Fialkov’s writing and Kody Chamberlain’s art come together in wonderful ways. The one thing that both creators seem to understand is that Punks exists to have its boundaries pushed. So when a character mentions that Sean Connery should be appearing in his Zardoz outfit, Chamberlain doesn’t have a problem with giving us just that a panel later.
Surprisingly though, the best thing about issue #3 is the interview with Rick Remender (who is a fish) that takes up the second half of the issue. The interview is rude, over-the-top, and Remender’s answers come out in the best misanthropic way possible. This interview could probably only exist in a place like Punks and I’d argue that this issue is worth picking up for the interview alone as it surpasses pretty much every other joke within here. I actually found myself closing the issue and wishing that more forms of media, and perhaps comic creators themselves, were willing to do these kind of hilarious yet telling interviews that are less like formal, boring industry grabs and more like you chatted at the local dive bar after consuming way too many car bombs.
At the end of the day though, Punks is still a comic that I feel somewhat conflicted over. On one hand, certain jokes are really, really funny. On the other, I’m somewhat tired of the sort of random chaotic humor that Adult Swim has been jamming down our throats for years.
Basically, if you’re going to like Punks you’ve probably already decided to pick it up and if you hated the previous two issues then there’s nothing here to change your mind. However, I will say that if there’s anyone still on the fence, this is the issue to pick up simply for the Remender interview alone.
