"Duuude..."

Starweed

Written by Alex Wilson
Pencils inks by Tony Gregori
Color by Claudia Aguirre
Lettering by Lauren Norby

Sold out, but you can pre-order Issue 2 HERE.

 

The premise with Starweed

is that in the future it's found that certain strains of marijuana can be made more potent by combining it with the remains of a dead person. Most importantly, that dead person is preferably someone who was once famous, like Martha Stewart.

Right away that brings up a scarcity issue, and of course there are competing underworld agents who want to get the most famous of famous people who are deceased.

It's in this world of 2085 where we're thrust straight into the former Soviet Union's Red Square, where a team of thieves plan on stealing -you guessed it- Lenin's body. I was so hoping a lame Big Lebowski riff somewhere in the story, like a dumb character saying "I am the walrus."

There's plenty of wacky hijinks going on here. Most of the enjoyment I got was how off-kilter the future seems to be: The Red Square has been reduced to a tourist attraction, and the irony is one of the bastions of deep seated anti-Capitalism from a century before is now a glorified shopping mall rife with commercialism and product placement. If you can't beat them, join them I guess. But keep the old ways as a nostalgic throw-back.

The job goes off somehow and Lenin's body is absconded with. The artistic tone throughout this comic courtesy of Toni Gregori is very funky quirky and cartoony. Think Pineapple Express or a Cheech and Chong movie. The world of weed, of getting high, is mated with the cult of celebrity. No longer do you have to witness second-hand historical accounts of the rich and famous, you can put their smoking essence into your lungs!

One technical note in this comic: the font size has got to be the smallest I've ever seen. It's a good thing I have my reading glasses around.

Digs, the leading woman and head of the grave robbing team, finds herself in a jam by the end of this comic, leading to her getting incarcerated into Space Jail!

Enjoy responsibly.

Starweed is a light hearted colorful romp into a ridiculous style of future world. It was an enjoyable read, but I was almost expecting something stranger and more psychedelic. There's been a number of 'future drug' type stories like Strange Days and Shatner's Tek War series. Starweed could've been helped a bit by showing us some of the weirdness that comes from smoking a celebrity.

Closing the book, I was wondering what would be the US equivalent of Lenin's body? All I could think of was the (rumored) cryogenic, frozen body of Walt Disney.

Next Tuesday:

Ascencia
Another future story told in 4, count 'em, 4 books from Torpedo Comics!

Read Mayfield Eight Part 1: Into the Rat Hole!

Calvin Ryder, a young fry cook agrees to go on a motorcycle road trip to celebrate his birthday. He runs into a Biker Gang: The Banshees!

Read Part One

Read Mayfield Eight Part 2: White Meat!

Trouble ensues for Calvin as his friend conducts a back- room drug deal. He didn't count on it taking place at The Banshee's headquarters!

Read Part Two

Read Mayfield Eight Part 3: Faster, Faster!

The Banshees are onto Calvin and out for revenge. He gets the help of a lone confederate: A woman named Angelina.

Read Part Three
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Buy Mayfield Eight Here:

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