Comic - 21st Century Tank Girl #3

Steve Taylor-Bryant talks about the comic artists as 21st Century Tank Girl draws to a close...

I know Tank Girl isn't for everyone. I know avid comic fans, specialists in the field, that just don't get it. Me? What's to get? It's just complete irreverent insanity on a page. A shot across the bows of normality and a release from my own humdrum existence. I first read Tank Girl in the early 1990's and, shortly after, devoured the film. To hell with the critics, Tank Girl rocks. I'm not one of those 'critics' who knows comics inside out anyway, I tend to stick pretty close to what I know. The insane, the different. Titan do this well as I get Tank Girl and my beloved Death Sentence, Madius do brilliant work with Papercuts and Inkstains (a comic Titan themselves should pick up) and that's about it for me. No caped morality warriors, I want weapons, swearing kangaroos, egomaniacal drunks bumming the queen. And with that we move into 21st Century Tank Girl issue 3.

Alan Martin writes everything but there are different artists involved along the way. In this third issue they are...

Valleri - Jim Mahfood
The Ghost Smell from the Ground - Craig Knowles
Super Crunchy Booga Flakes - Brett Parson
Viva Tank Girl - Brett Parson
Your Mission, Barney - Warwick Johnson-Cadwell
Pin ups - Jamie Hewlett, Craig Knowles, Jim Mahfood.

The thing about 21st Century Tank Girl that I love most is the fact I'm being introduced to artists I wouldn't necessarily get elsewhere, as I don't read much outside my favourite staples. All of the talented guys have their own take on the characters and how a story should look and feel and, whilst I still wish there was more than just the pin-ups from Jamie Hewlett, I've really enjoyed getting into the work of Jim Mahfood, Craig Knowles, Warwick Johnson-Cadwell, but especially Brett Parson whose work in other books I shall definitely be checking out. Alan Martin keeps the same insanity and edge to his writing that has always spoken to me and I can't imagine reading Tank Girl written by anyone else, except maybe Monty Nero. As I said at the top Tank Girl isn't for everyone and, whilst I understand that, if you haven't checked out these guys elsewhere then there's a reason right there to purchase a copy.

Image - Titan Comics