Review: Baaaad Muthaz
Baaaad Muthaz from author Bill Campbell and artist David Brame of Rosarium Publishing follows the exploits of Afro Desia and her all-female crew aboard the pirate ship Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedallymistic. Oh, they are also a James Brown cover band and their instruments double as high-tech energy weapons, which comes in handy when they take on some rather sensitive contraband... a mysterious pink fluid that turns out to be something called Karvigjian super ... erm ... let's just say, this comic is NOT for kids!
An intellectual political treatise this very much ain't... just pure fun. The 70s blaxploitation vibe is in full force here (our heroine totally loses it when a stray energy bolt ruins her hair - "They scorched my Fro!") and there are innuendos aplenty.
Of course, things go sideways pretty quickly and the Muthaz are soon battling a fleet of Federation ships eager to get hold of the precious cargo. Jumping out of the shower, our buxom heroine throws on a skimpy dressing gown and joins the mêlée...
Of course, things go sideways pretty quickly and the Muthaz are soon battling a fleet of Federation ships eager to get hold of the precious cargo. Jumping out of the shower, our buxom heroine throws on a skimpy dressing gown and joins the mêlée...
It's a full-on romp but there are nods to more serious elements. Dazed during battle, Desia has flashbacks to her previous life on Earth where she was recruited to be a super-powered revolutionary warrior by a Black Panther (the civil rights movement, not the Marvel character) style militia.
Backed into a corner by the overwhelming force of the Federation fleet, her ship has to use a highly experimental and dangerous hyperdimensional jump to escape disaster - the Wansel Principle - which catapults them into a dazzling realm of colours and music in which visions of black female musical legends - Simone, Fitzgerald, Franklin, Turner, etc. - float like majestic suns. "My god" Desia gasps, "it's full of stars!"
Mature explorations of issues of race, culture and representation are of course very important. But there is also a place for humour and a relaxed take on those same issues. Nothing speaks empowerment more than exercising the freedom to laugh at the complexities of our experiences. Embracing clichés is itself a cliché these days, but it taps into a highly valuable perspective. Sometimes harmless fun can hit the target that an earnest lecture misses.
Every page is joyful explosion of colourful action and I cannot imagine anyone reading this without getting a huge buzz out of it. So if you want to join this cosmic quest, strap in tightly, get your cans on and turn the volume UP!
Zak Webber
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