Danger Girl: The Ultimate Collection

So I just read Danger Girl. My first question is – why didn’t somebody tell me about this sooner?!?! The book was suggested and lent to me by a friend – but with no real explanation. It has been sitting on my shelf since April. Honestly – I would look at it and just not be able to bring myself around to read it. Based on the cover I assumed it was just going to be some fluff story with some corny humor, a plot twist and a bunch of T & A.

Boy was I right – but that doesn’t stop it from being awesome!

I read Danger Girl: The Ultimate Collection in one night. I couldn’t put it down. Just to justify that last statement – typically when I am reading something in trade format – I will read a “chapter/issue” a night. That way I have something look forward to. With Danger Girl – I just wanted to keep reading. I wanted to know everything – and not just because I was looking at hugely exaggerated, yet attractive, women.

By the end, the story has touched on everything that is important for a good story; attractive women; ridiculous action; double crossings; Sean Connery; and Nazis. Yes, I am aware I just also described Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade as well as The Hunt for Red October (if you count Alec Baldwin as a woman, and Soviet communists as Nazis).

Seriously though – this book nailed it. In the introduction J. Scott Campbell discusses his desire to bring (campy) action movies to the pages of comics. Drawing HEAVILY from the 007 series as well as Indiana Jones, he did exactly what he had hoped. Most importantly – he ripped from those movies without shame and without looking back.

Perhaps, if I hadn’t read the introduction, I might have been frustrated and upset by this blatant “plagiarism.” But he embraces the movies and the style in which they were made – and he brings it to a new level on the page. No action is spared, no campiness is pushed aside, it’s just fun.

It’s also fun to look at. To be completely honest, looking at the cover for months I was nearly convinced that I wouldn’t like the book. I figured the art style was going to be too “comic-y” – and no – I don’t really know what that means either. I think I was worried that it was going to be buxom women, muscle-y dudes, bright colors and simple/clean lines. And it totally is. But that’s what it needs to be. Normally this style is exactly what I shy away from – but this book (to me) is the complete package. More importantly, it’s a package that I seemed to enjoy.

Perhaps I should take a moment to explain the plot. Basically there are scantily clad women that work for Sean Connery (Deuce) as super spies/adventure seekers. They go by the name “Danger Girl.” There is the leader, Natalie Kassle – “She’s a former Russian intelligence agent and personal combat trainer. Her skill with knives is unparalleled.” Then we have Sydney Savage – “An extraordinary special op’s agent from the land down under. Her prowess with a bullwhip is as legendary as her audacious sense of risk.” Of course there is Silicon Valerie (not pictured) – “A computer and communications genius hailing from Oxford. Her youth unfortunately puts her in a unique situation. Classified and Top Secret Documents vie for priority over the latest issues of Barbarian Hunk Monthly and Video Game Weekly.” And then finally our protagonist, Abbey Chase – “This champion marksman with a knack for languages is actually more of a modern day ‘Robin Hood.’” 

Basically they are trying to stop the long dormant Nazis from gaining the magical powers of Atlantis in order to restore the Aryan race to the world. As I mentioned earlier, it is full of action, double crossings and bad jokes.

Are you still on the fence? Or perhaps you read it years ago and are looking for a reason to pick it up again? Well, let me go ahead and relive some of my favorite moments – and they can push you over the edge.

1.    Sean Connery” with a pony tail – and then later without (and he even makes a damned good joke about it).

2.    Major “ninja” fight – with matching tattoos that I swear are the logo from Double Dragon.

3.    Alligator biting the butt out of Abbey Chase’s pants. Really – when is that not funny/awesome.

4.    Abbey Chase as French waitress… J’adore le français chers.

Kudos to J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell for creating this series. I’m a little frustrated that I waited so long to read it – but now I am eager to read more. Yay for more things to spend money on!

 

Comments

  1. Very entertaining article Gord!

  2. Kudos to you Gordon! Now i’m going to have to pick this up! Like you, i thought this was just T&A…not that there is anything wrong with that…it was just lower on my T&A priority list!

    I think there is even an Absolute Danger Girl! Is this what you were reading? Imagine T&A in Absolute format. But i have never seen it…I’m referring to the Absolute Edition of course, I see plenty of T&A all the time! *tongue firmly in cheek*

  3. @target242 – I read The Ultimate Collection – although I’m now in search of the Absolute Danger Girl!

  4. I got the Absolute Edition and it’s great but it’s hard to find if not impossible. I found it in the far top corner of my past LCS all dusty and got it for a discount.

  5. I read this story in issues.  I was a fan of the whole Cliffhanger line at the time.  And you forgot to mention that not only are they Nazis, but they’re Cobra Nazis.  I seem to recall Tomax and Xamot being in this book.

  6. and don’t forget GI JOE!

    the ninjas are straight out of the Arashikage Clan!

    this is one of those books that is just FUNFUNFUN.
    i remember loving it when it came out in issues, i’m gonna go back and re-read it!

  7. Interesting stuff. I’ve always written the book off as shameless T&A, but I don’t know, I might have to give it a try. The art DOES look amazing…

  8. Wow, love for Danger Girl?  That’s awesome!

    For those of you out there who are worried about the T&A factor, don’t worry too much.  Danger Girl is one of my wife’s favourite books.

    Sadly J.Scott Campbell hasn’t drawn any in so long.

  9. And it’s important to note that J. Scott Campbell is absolutely necessary for the proper fun/cheesiness mix.  In some ways the closest thing out today is Empowered by Adam Warren, although he manages to push every element much farther. 

  10. @Tad OMG I’m in the middle of reading Empowered and LOVING it

  11. I remember getting buying the 3D issue and reading it with the 3D specs in a cafe. My friends just shook their heads in disbelief of my utter nerdiness.

  12. Empowered is fantastic. One of those books that has flown under the radar so to speek. There are like 4 volumes out now. Ninjette rules!

  13. Evidently Empowered also has plenty of girl appeal as in girlfriends, wives, friends who are girls pick up the comic expecting to be disgusted and end up asking for more.  Great mix of humor and I love the pencil art.  #3 felt off a bit to me but I’m there for the next one.

     

    Ron, I expect a mini. 

  14. Good article, Gordon. It’s a good thing you read this in the trade though. If you’da been buying the issues you’d’ve had a year lond wait between issues 6 and 7. I’ve got the Ultimate Edition and am trying to track down the Absolute Edition, which I’ve never seen and am not sure really exists, but it has both an ISBN and an Amazon listing (with no copies available, natch.)

    @target242: Only 3 volumes so far of Empowered. V. 4 is due out in September but according to Adam Warren he’s fallen behind and it might slip a month or two. Check out his deviantart page for more info.

    @Tad: Yep, Emp has girl/girlfriend appeal.

    When I went to my LCS to pick up volume 3 I made a comment to the efect of "I’ll bet I’m the only person at the store getting this." The register person corrected me. She (a girl) had all three and was pre-ordering v.4. An ex of mine read my v.1 and really liked it. It’s only anecdotal and it’s a sample size of only 2, but I’m willing to extrapolate that into vast hordes of potential Emp-ettes. o, gentlemen, pick up Empowered and give it to your significant other. Help spread the Adam Warren love!