Rating: 3.5/5 – Comedy in the Everyday Lives of a Villain’s Support Team.
by ComicSpectrum EiC Bob Bretall.
In another comics case of nominative determinism, Mary Posa works for Monsieur Butterfly. In fact, Monsieur Butterfly loves hiring hench people with “spot on” names like Coco Oon and Katie Pillar, all part of the fun in Kristen Gudsnuk’s comedic dis-assembly of the interpersonal dynamics between the members of a villain support team.
We see Katie out on some capers and in team planning sessions for future crimes, but the book really shined for me when showing Mary just trying to get by in real life with her friends. Trying to land a job at the local Crepelbee’s restaurant to break out of the “hench life” was particularly fun. Gudsnuk’s art is quirky but works perfectly for the story she is telling here. Watching the expressions on Mary’s face and her body language from page to page as she moves through her nights and days is worth the price of admission. The little background details she works into the story; titles on books, posters on walls, etc. add an extra layer of enjoyment.
Henchgirl is not about delivering slam-bang super-hero action, but it is a perfect comic for people who are familiar with standard super-hero tropes and like seeing those turned around and examined from some new angles for comedic effect. Fans of books like Scott Pilgrim should give this a try, I get a similar vibe. It’s not derivative, just in that ballpark. I loved what Kristen Gudsnuk is doing here and this quirky gem has earned a place on my pull list.
Reviewed by: Bob Bretall
(bob@comicspectrum.com)
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