Exurbia
Written by Scott Allie
Art by Kevin McGovern
Published by Dark Horse
Scott Allie is a busy man. He’s an editor at Dark Horse for such titles as “Hellboy,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Umbrella Academy” and “The Goon.” But there’s always time for a pet project, especially one as wacky and thought-provoking as, “Exurbia.” Coming out in October from Dark Horse, Allie teams up with artist Kevin McGovern to serve up a truly ditzy distopian farce.
Judging by the current mini comic version, “Exurbia” is quite a stylish little rant. We all have these sort of venting sessions when we can clearly see the network of lies fed to us. We can put our finger on all the government and corporate corruption and cry foul. That’s why we have comics like “Exurbia” to give voice to our cries.
Happily, all the bitterness is contained primarily in the character of Gage Wallace for our entertainment and edification. He’s a layabout twenty-something who is so glued to his TV that it’s sort of painful to watch. He lives in an apartment building with circular windows that, from outside, looks like every other building in the city, a vast collection of blocks of cheese. No wonder a mysterious rat revolutionary emerges to galvanize protest against the system.
Gage has a girlfriend, Brenda, who regularly comes in and cleans up after him. She is beginning to wonder why. On the heels of a lovers’ quarrel, Gage must try to take stock of himself. His only saving grace appears to be his youth and he sort of realizes he’s been pissing that away. Maybe the TV can provide some answers.
The art is a wonderful match for the zany humor. Gage Wallace reminds you of that obnoxious housemate who, despite himself, always had something clever to say. Kevin McGovern is in tune with how to bring that sort of angst to life. His art style is very sharp and animated. The characters have the perfect proportions of big heads and little bodies. It’s like The Flintstones if Fred dabbled heavily in conspiracy theories.
The trade paperback is 6″ x 9″, 112 pages, $9.95 and available for pre-order.
