Final Boss #1: Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting

Being aimless is almost a certainty in most people’s lives. When you think you have your life plotted out, then suddenly the rug is snatched from under and you are left scrambling to pick up the pieces. That is where we find Tommy Brazen. A former government agent that dishonorably discharged after a failed mission, Tommy finds himself staring at rock bottom with visions of stories told to him by his grandfather. Something about World War Two and ancient pacific temples. Spending his days doing odd enforcer jobs and his nights getting beat half to death in cage matches, Tommy yearns for the day he can find his missing father. When he takes a title match on short notice, an awesome yet terrifying power begins to awaken inside him. 

Tyler Kirkham originally wrote Final Boss as a limited series for WhatNot Publishing in 2022, whether this story follows the same beats as its predecessor is up in the air (I never read that original series), but as for this initial outing it does a decent job of introducing this fantastically violent world. 

Tommy is a fairly stock protagonist for this type of story. A down on his luck former military man with a dark past and a knack for fighting who finds an ancient power. The tale has been told a million times before, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. The issue is double sized, giving the audience plenty of time to spend with our hero. It’s well tread ground, but just unique enough to entertain throughout. 

Kirkham also handles art duties along with David Miller, and while the action can be spectacularly bloody and violent, everything else feels a bit dated, but that seems intentional. This book is very much a throwback to action flicks and video games from the late ’90s to early Aughts with bombastic action, dynamic angles, and gruesome displays of violence. It’s a bloody good time (…sorry).