Atomic Victory Squad #1: They’re Not the Heroes we Want or Need, but They are All We have Left!

Atomic Victory Squad is one of those books that when you read it you are taken over with thoughts of “who comes up with stuff like this”? Enter the mind of Lowell Dean, the comedic mastermind behind the pen. Humor such as this takes special creativeness to craft something that is this funny and fresh with a good and fun plot. The whole book from front to back is chock-full of why comics are fun.

Atomic Victory Squad starts off with the earth’s superheroes dying by the hands of what appears to be one huge alien fly thing by the name of Rinando that makes short work of the heroes. From the introduction of James Victory and his ward Casey Victor (whom James rescued from a laboratory) the ride picks up we see our heroes having all sorts of “fun” with Rinando until they meat their demise. The government agency G.A.P. headed by Professor Microchip has to work quickly with replacing their superheroes and as we soon learn we may want to see who else is available.

Enter the Atomic Victory Squad, a motley crew of misfits charged with saving the world. This is were Dean turns on the laugh faucet and refuses to shut it off. We are soon briefed on who the Atomic Victory Squad is. Invincibull. Hailing from Cowtopia where roles of cows and humans are reversed. Humans are enslaved and milked and cows inhabit the normal everyday life, but there is another catch to Cowtopia. Cows don’t have utters the bulls do! Seeing Invincibull standing upright in full costume and utters swinging proudly…I couldn’t stop laughing. I’m actually laughing just typing this review. Mr. Nobody who was just that.

He’s failed football star who fell into drugs and its rough way of life. One day while in jail he’s offered to test a multi-million-dollar astro-suit made by Professor Microchip. While in space he develops an allergy to the earth’s atmosphere and has to wear the suit all the time. His humor is crude and bold and is he has certain moxie about him that sits on borderline being loyal but maybe could be persuaded if the right offer comes about. She-Girl whose original purpose was for “erotic purposes” one thing leads to another with a raid by the Atomic Victory Squad, they handed her tech over to Professor Microchip and now she is an indestructible robotic bad-ass.  Up next is probably the funniest character I’ve read in a while and that would be Triangle Master. He’s timid, scared of his own shadow, and has absolutely zero powers.

The dialogue that Dean provides with Triangle Master is superbly done and I highly recommend the shower scene where he is scrubbing himself and repeating “there were no triangles”. Gary the Mime is a mime whose file is classified but we see Gary step up quite a bit and we start to learn or think we start to learn about him in later issues. Last but not least we are introduced to Zoozana who carries a curse that allows her to morph into 6 different animals that G.A.P. has found a way to help her control it through the use of medication.

The series takes a “no-holds-barred” approach when it comes to its shameless puns or poking fun at hero names. The story has a great organic feel to it as do the jokes with their accompanying punchlines, and it all works in beautiful harmony. Lowell Dean is not alone in his efforts in making us laugh out loud and drooling all over ourselves while doing it. Javier Martin Caba is behind the art of this brilliant comedy and delivers on all accounts as does Dean’s writing. Caba’s art lends to the vulnerability, sadness, and complete self-destruction that Invincibull and Company are headed towards.