From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1 Review

 

Writer: Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt & Jordan Blum

Artist: Ryan Browne

Colorist: Ryan Browne & Kevin Knipstein

Letterer: Nate Piekos

Cover Artists: Scott Hepburn & Ian Herring; Ryan Browne; Martín Morazzo; Dan Hipp; David Mack

Publisher: Dark Horse

Price: $4.99

Release Date: July 10, 2024

 

Shiteater is a local at The Lower Lair. After working all day at Burger Bite, he enjoys chatting with the bartender and relaxing with a stiff drink. But Gridiron Ghoul doesn't want the lowlife bug infesting his favorite hangout. Can Shiteater appease or befriend the bully? Or will he have to find another hangout to unwind every evening? Let's spread our wings, fly into From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, and find out!

 

Story

The Entomologist’s giant bugs wreaked havoc on society. But he also created people-sized ones. The villain sent swarms of bugs to pummel or incapacitate his enemies before he swooped in for the kill. The authorities honored the Entomologist’s exploits with a stay in their finest secure facilities. But they didn’t touch Shiteater because he didn’t threaten anyone.

 

Gridiron Ghoul disapproves of Shiteater, but the anthropomorphic fly has friends. His cat-loving landlady tends to his wounds and makes him dinner. A fellow employee at the Burger Bite shares her troubles with him. Another shares his record collection with his bug buddy. And then there's Goliath, the giant beetle who resides at Twilight City Zoo. Goliath wishes Shiteater would join him there. But who knows how the zookeepers would react to an unwanted guest? Besides, Shiteater wants to make a meaningful contribution to society.

 

 

 

Shiteater can trust some of his friends. Others value him only for how he can help them. A coworker employs him for a side gig but disrespects him. His boss yells at him, overworks and underpays him, and insists he is a disposable commodity. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, Shiteater clings to his dreams. He wants to use his unique talents and abilities to achieve his destiny. But first, he must discover what that is.

 

Kyle Starks, Patton Oswalt, and Jordan Blum's story speaks to anyone who has ever felt undermined or sidelined. The Entomologist created Shiteater in a lab. Left to fend for himself, he doesn't fit in anywhere. People like Gridiron Ghoul remember his past and refuse to see him any other way. Stained by his association with the Entomologist, Shiteater is a magnet for disdain. Yet one night, Shiteater has a brainwave. He’ll have to learn new skills and find some willing helpers to accomplish it. But as the old saying goes, A Bug’s Perfect Life is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.

 

Hey, who says insects don't sweat?

 

 

Art

Shiteater climbs atop the thick hardcover book on the barstool in his leather jacket, jeans, and sneakers in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The bartender smiles at him while a masked hero advertises a candy bar on the flatscreen TV. But Gridiron Ghoul, dressed in his football helmet and jersey, doesn’t believe the big-eyed bug belongs beneath the fairy lights and superhero masks adorning the bar. A backhander sends Shiteater tumbling through the air.

 

Shiteater trudges past a crashed flying saucer, not glancing at the fleeing aliens as he enters the boarding house next to the nude ghoul-y bar. While a cat on the floor looks up at him, most sprawl atop stair rails, a Black & White tube TV and cable decoder box, furniture, and his landlady’s head. Later, The Fly sits in the back of a coworker's van with his cheeseburger from Burger Bite. He vomits digestive juices and slurps up his meal. 

 

 

 

Ryan Browne and Kevin Knipstein lavish a loaded palette of bright and appealing colors on Browne’s art in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1. The air turns pink as Shiteater’s swarm attacks one of the Entomologist’s enemies. A magenta scorpion towers over the street while Shiteater’s former green-clad boss rides between its eyes. Shiteater's enormous orange eyes turn pink as he rides atop the racing purple van easier than the fake insect on the roof of Switek and Zito’s Bug Van. Orange, purple, pink, green, and blue surround the stage as Richie imagines playing drums in a punk band.

 

Nate Piekos fills white dialogue balloons and narrative boxes with large uppercase black and colored letters. Sound effects like an orange Swat, a green Ralf and Snort, and a tan Vrooom enliven action scenes and dramatic moments. Descriptions fill the air, commenting on stacks of money, Gridiron Ghoul’s dental care, and Shiteater’s self-image. In From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1, street advertisements comment on the quality of the products and services offered, and the villain’s secret lairs are always carefully marked. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics for providing a copy for review.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

A lab-grown fly, stripped of his wings, vows to better himself while navigating the sticky social web of users, abusers, and double-dealing friends in From The World Of Minor Threats: Barfly #1.

 

Rating 10/10

 

To preview interior art see my review at Comic Book Dispatch.