#IReadsYou Review: THE SCUMBAG #4

THE SCUMBAG #4
IMAGE COMICS/Giant Generator

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Rick Remender
ART: Eric Powell
COLORS: Moreno Dinisio
LETTERS: Rus Wooton
DESIGN: Erika Schnatz
EDITOR: Will Dennis
COVER: Eric Powell
VARIANT COVER ARTISTS: Roland Boschi with Moreno Dinisio; Duncan Fegredo
28pp, Colors, 3.99 U.S.(January 2021)

Rated “M/ Mature”

“Snowblower Indemnity” Part 4

The Scumbag is a comic book series from writer Rick Remender.  Described as a “comedy espionage series” by publisher Image Comics, The Scumbag's tagline reads, “The fate of the world rests in the hands of the worst person on it!”  The series features a rotating crew of illustrators.  Artist Eric Powell; colorist Moreno Dinisio; and letterer Rus Wooton complete the current creative team.

The Scumbag introduces Ernie Ray Clementine.  He is a rundown, raggedy, filthy man.  He is a profane, illiterate, drug-addicted biker and ne'er-do-well with a fifth-grade education.  However, he meets Sister Mary and “Central Authority” and inadvertently absorbs the power-imbuing serum called “the Formula Maxima.”  Now, Ernie is the only thing standing between humanity and total Armageddon... because he has suddenly become the world's most powerful super-spy.

The Scumbag #4 opens in the sky in a flying car with Ernie Ray, Sister Mary, and “A.I. doll,” Pam.  They plan to infiltrate a party being thrown at the mansion of “The Prosoma,” leader of the reactionary cabal, Scorpionus.  However, “Mr. Prosoma” isn't clueless about his party being crashed, and he has an offer to make.

THE LOWDOWN:  I didn't have a lot to say about The Scumbag #1.  I had a little more to say about The Scumbag #2.  I said that with The Scumbag #3 the series had hit its stride.  The Scumbag #4 may offer some of Rick Remender's sharpest political, social, and racial commentary yet.

Remender distillates white privilege, the one percent, reactionary millionaires and billionaires, and the titans of industry, tech, and fossil fuels into one self-promoting asshole.  It is scary that there are people similar to Prosoma in the real world, but Remender has turned this type into a most excellent comic book villain.

Artist Eric Powell and colorist Moreno Dinisio have a field day with the orgy scenes; I'm still shocked.  And letterer Rus Wooton is quite good at lettering crazy talk, of which there is a lot.  We're approaching the end of the first story arc, so this is no time to stop reading The Scumbag.

I READS YOU RECOMMENDS:  Fans of Rick Remender, of mature comedy, and of reprobate-type anti-hero lead characters will want The Scumbag.

8 out of 10

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


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