David Opie reviews Showman Killer: Heartless Hero…
In the depths of space, insanity has run amok and given birth to the perfect killer. Devoid of empathy, compassion, and pathologically mercenary, the Showman Killer is the greatest assassin in the universe, until, that is, a fateful mission throws him into the path of the mysterious and fascinating Ibis…
Let’s start off by establishing that Showman Killer is all kinds of crazy, like ‘Nicolas Cage attacked by killer bees’ crazy. What else would you expect though from Alexandro Jodorowsky, the legendary Chilean filmmaker who’s dabbled in everything from mime and music to a form of spirituality known as ‘psychomagic’?
As a jack of all trades, Jodorowsky has also found success in the world of comic books, specialising in offbeat sci-fi that injects his fondness for surrealism within a space opera setting. The most popular of these works to date is The Incal, a project that Jodorowsky worked on with none other than industry legend Moebius, whose avant-garde approach has clearly left a mark on volume 1 of Showman Killer.
From the outset, it’s clear that this isn’t your typical sci-fi tale. The story opens with the Sperm Collector, a man whose sole mission is to create the most powerful mercenary the universe has ever seen. In just a few panels, Jodorowsky is able to convey the intricacies of the new universe he’s created using concise plotting and bizarre dialogue unique to his work.
Phrases like “I am an expert in handling dildos your eminence,” set the tone early on. Dialogue like this should be jarring, but it somehow works within the world of Showman Killer. Although I occasionally found myself re-reading passages to grasp the meaning of specific phrases such as “paleo-dog” and “meta-cathode polyform tube“, readers will quickly adjust to the insanity found within these pages, becoming familiar with these terms in no time at all.
As origin stories go, Showman Killer’s is more intense than casual fans of the genre may be used to, but it’s fascinating nonetheless. From the moment he’s born, Showman Killer is raised solely by robots so he’ll never know the warmth of the human touch. Instead of toys, he’s only given money to play with, instilling an obsession that will serve him well as a future mercenary for hire. Just in case this upbringing doesn’t completely destroy the last vestiges of his humanity, the Sperm Collector then decides to perform surgery on the boys central nervous system so he becomes incapable of feeling emotion.
Early on, Showman Killer demonstrates the power that his new implants give him, enabling the mercenary to transform into anything from a mountain of rock to a monstrous zombie-like giant with scythes for hands… and that’s just as insane as it sounds. With loyalty to no one, Showman Killer is truly unstoppable and it’s extremely satisfying to watch him cut through swathes of enemies with ease, leaving a trail of gore and death in his wake.
However, the issue with Showman Killer is that he’s almost too perfect. In each of the many battles the mercenary becomes embroiled in, we never once feel a sense of danger, that this could in fact be his last fight. Fortunately, the cliffhanger ending begins to address this, adding some much needed depth to the character that ensures volume 2 will be even better than Heartless Hero.
The extreme nature of the story might be harder to stomach if the artwork was too ridiculous, but Nicolas Fructose does a stellar job here, succinctly capturing the epic nature of Jodorowsky’s writing without needlessly exaggerating the more bizarre plot elements. For a rough idea of what that entails, imagine a cross between the visual tone of the movie Mad Max: Fury Road and the classic Iron Maiden cover art from the bands most iconic albums. However, this description doesn’t do Fructose’s work justice as the art contained in these pages is far more unique than that.
Kanye West (!?) recently described Alexandro Jodorowsky as “A prophet of creativity… One of the most inspiring artists of our time!” On the basis of Showman Killer’s first instalment, this claim may not be as lofty as one might think.
Rating: 8/10
Showman Killer: Heartless Hero is released on the 2nd December, priced $15.99. For more information, visit the official site www.titan-comics.com.
David Opie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=ROisAvdW5SY
Originally published November 27, 2015. Updated April 15, 2018.
