Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1 Review

 

Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1 Review

Writer: Alan Martin

Artist & Cover Artist: Jamie Hewlett

Additional Coloring: Sofie Dodgson

Editor: Jake Devine

Designers: Alan Martin & Matt Bookman

Publisher: Titan Comics

Price: $5.99 US

Release Date: August 5, 2026

 

Tank Girl only has a few days in England. But her itinerary gets reshuffled when Booga gets arrested. Once the Hampstead Police Station releases the Kangaroo, the next problem arises. How do they get to Titting Coombesbury? Things look dark as Tank Girl and Booga stand along a narrow country road in Surrey. Then, fate gives them a chance to emulate Jack Kerouac. Mental!

 

What will Tank Girl and Booga find when they arrive in the idyllic English village? And why does Tank Girl have a beef with Penelope Keith, the dearly departed star of the TV series "The Good Life?" Let's grab a Ginger Beer, leap into Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1 and see!

 

Story

After some lethal hijinks, Tank Girl and Booga arrive in the village. After obtaining directions, she arrives at her grandparents' home. While she finds her grandmother ill, her grandfather insists on taking her and Booga out for the evening. Her cousin, who was traumatized by his parents and 1970s British TV, accompanies them. While Tank Girl and her grandpa reconnect over drinks, her cousin and Booga find their groove by playing music together.

 

Although her grandfather has soft-soaped the situation, Tank Girl discovers that her grandmother is dying. There is only one possible cure. But to find it, she must set off on a journey across England in Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1. Thankfully, a nearby museum has a tank available for rental.

 

As Alan Martin’s story follows Tank Girl’s journey across her ancestral homeland, he shares her thoughts and feelings about the island’s countryside. Along the way, strangers become friends, obstacles must be overcome, and she forms a deeper connection with England. Like H.G. Wells' early novel, The Wheels of Chance, the journey presents new opportunities for her future. Yet as Tank Girl undertakes this mission of mercy, she must balance selflessness with doing what's right for her in Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1.

 

Art

As Tank Girl sits beneath a blazing sun beside her stuffed animal-backpack, Booga arrives wearing a hat and a shirt adorned with flowers. A sideways cap adorned with The Problem Solver allows the ponytail atop her otherwise bald head to spill out. As they hitchhike along a country lane, the travelers spot a sweet American ride. When they reach the English village, Tank Girl makes a shopkeeper cry as she questions her before a counter filled with Beans Very Nice. Later, an insect with a demonic face and long ears flies past as Tank Girl walks through a flower field drinking Ginger Beer.

 

Jamie Hewlett and Sofie Dodgson lavish vibrant colors on the hand-drawn art in Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1. At times, Tank Girl's skin glows red, linking her with her backpack and evoking her home in the Australian Outback. Booga’s green shirt seems more at home in the verdant countryside. Purple descends upon her grandparents' property as she arrives, evoking the hat that reminds Tank Girl of Penelope Keith in “To The Manor Born.” Yet her orange shirt links her with her traumatized cousin, who wears a sack over his head.

 

Uppercase black letters fill dialogue balloons and boxes, as Tank Girl interacts with characters while narrating her adventure. Music notes fill the air as her cousin and Booga demonstrate their musicianship, while handwritten letters swell for volume or shrink to fit. Sound effects enhance revving engines, gunfire, and a riotous crowd that recalls Jake and Elwood's concert at Bob's Country Bunker. Thanks to Titan Comics for providing a review copy.

 

Final Thoughts

Tank Girl may have a short fuse when it comes to rudeness and intolerance. Still, her visit to England infuses her with whimsy. As the soul of the country speaks to Tank Girl, her thoughts wax poetic. Still, her frequent celebrity name-drops remind readers of her love for pop culture in Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1.

 

Rating 9.6/10

 

For more cover options see my cover preview of Tank Girl: Summer Love Sensation #1. 

Tank Girl "Summer Love Sensation" #1 Cover Preview

 

Cover A: Jamie Hewlett

Tank Girl only has a few days in England. But her itinerary gets reshuffled when Booga gets arrested. Once the police release the Kangaroo, the next problem arises. How do they get to Titting Coombesbury? Things look dark as they stand along a narrow country road in Surrey. Then, fate gives them a chance to emulate Jack Kerouac. Mental!

What will Tank Girl and Booga find when they arrive in the idyllic English village? And why does Tank Girl have a beef with Penelope Keith, the dearly departed star of the TV series "To The Manor Born?" 

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

Tank Girl "Summer Love Sensation" 35th Anniversary Comic (One-Shot)

Writer: Alan Martin

Artist & Cover Artist: Jamie Hewlett

Publisher: Titan Comics

Issue Length: 40 Pages, (Full Color)

Price: $5.99 US

Release Date: August 5, 2026

 

 

A complete, stand-alone story by creators Jamie Hewlett (Gorillaz) and Alan Martin, originally published in Deadline Magazine 1990. Collecting all four and a half episodes - read the whole stupid story in one go! Forget The Odyssey, this is an Idiodicy of epic proportions. Contains unseen photos of Jamie Hewlett riding a Raleigh Chopper bike on Worthing beach, summer 1990.

 

 

Here are more cover options:

 

 

 

Cover B: Jamie Hewlett

 

 

Cover C: Jamie Hewlett - Virgin Cardstock Variant ($7.99)

Cover D: Jamie Hewlett - Foil Variant ($15.99)

Thanks to Titan Comics for sharing this cover preview with us.

 

Tank Girl Color Classics Books 1-3 Solicit

 

TANK GIRL COLOR CLASSICS BOOK 1 1988-1990 ISBN: 9781787739765

 

This is a fun collection of underground comics that made it big. Hollywood tried to make Tank Girl more conventional. But to paraphrase Steve Martin, Tank Girl is a wild and crazy gal. Don't order these unless you need some insane and irreverent fun!

Here's all the info from Titan Comics:

 

TANK GIRL COLOR CLASSICS BOOK 1 1988-1990

TANK GIRL COLOR CLASSICS BOOK 2 1990-1993

TANK GIRL COLOR CLASSICS BOOK 3 1993-1995

Format: Graphic novels

(W): Alan Martin

(A): Jamie Hewlett

Publisher: Titan Comics

FC, 144pp (each), $19.99, On sale: April 16, 2025

 

CLASSIC STORIES FROM ALAN MARTIN AND JAMIE HEWLETT!

 

The definitive anthology of Tank Girl - presenting classic stories from original creators, Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, in color for the first time ever! Cult favorite comic discussed in the hit Netflix show Sex Education.

 

TANK GIRL COLOR CLASSICS BOOK 2 1990-1993 ISBN: 9781787739772

 

 

Dive in to the crazy, outlandish world of Tank Girl and follow her first load of crazy, wild antics that captured the hearts of readers everywhere, then shot them to oblivion (by accident of course)! These classic strips by artist Jamie Hewlett are presented in all new color!

 

TANK GIRL COLOR CLASSICS BOOK 3 1993-1995 ISBN: 9781787739789

 

 

 

Phoo Action: Super Deluxe Edition - Signed & Numbered Solicit

 

Here's a special treat--and a time capsule of UK Comics history--from the creators of Tank Girl and the Gorillaz:

 

PHOO ACTION: SUPER DELUXE EDITION - SIGNED & NUMBERED

(W) Mat Wakeham, Jamie Hewlett

(A) Jamie Hewlett

Publisher: Titan Comics

FC, HC, 464pp, $400, On Sale NOW!

 

A CULT CLASSIC FROM THE CREATIVE MINDS OF JAMIE HEWLETT (GORILLAZ, TANK GIRL) AND MAT WAKEHAM!

 

Jamie Hewlett and Mat Wakeham’s iconic comic strips take center stage in the super deluxe edition of PHOO ACTION: SILVER JUBILEE.

 

The popular duo of Whitey Action and Terry Phoo are once again battling side-by-side, as the edition celebrates the 25TH ANNIVERSARY since the creation of the Phoo Action universe.

 

SIGNED BY JAMIE HEWLETT! LIMITED TO 500 COPIES

 

AN ALL- NEW PROSE STORY WRITTEN BY MAT WAKEHAM & ILLUSTRATED BY PHILIP BOND!

 

FEATURES: Custom envelope, Hand-signed and numbered tip-in sheet, 3 x limited edition embroidered patches, 5 x giclee art prints, Sleek clamshell case Cloth spine, Silver-gilded page edging, Speciality paper stocks, Gatefolds, Foil and spot UV finishing!

 

Order code: SEP248596

 

For more on this book see my post: Phoo Action: Deluxe Edition Preview

Phoo Action: Deluxe Edition Preview

 

This is a time capsure from the 1990s. The creators were rebelling against everything they objected to in British society, from the rise of the Spice Girls to the popularity of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The stories are more focused than those in Tank Girl, which were created in all-nighters fueled by alcohol and drugs. 

I enjoyed the character designs. The artist's low-key method of using magic markers over photocopies of his pencils also caught my attention. The dialogue and narrative was hand-lettered and varied in size. Without seeing a physical book, I can't comment on the readability. But undeniable energy surges through these fun, action-packed stories. You can definitely see the seeds of what would become the Gorillaz in this volume.

Here's all the info from Titan Books:

PHOO ACTION: DELUXE EDITION

Author: Jamie Hewlett and Matthew Wakeham

Illustrator: Jamie Hewlett

Publisher: Titan Comics

HC, 464 pages, FC, $99.98

ISBN: 9781787743458

On sale December 3, 2024

 

 

Celebrate 25 years of the Phoo Action universe created by the creative polymath Jamie Hewlett and long-time collaborator Mat Wakeham, with this definitive Silver Jubilee compilation of comics, scripts, and an assortment of behind-the-scenes material of the franchise.

 

For fans of the cult-classic Tank Girl, The Face magazine, the BRIT and Grammy-winning virtual band Gorillaz, and Phoo Action the collector’s crown jewel of subversive, satirical and surreal crime-fighting.

 

Jamie Hewlett and Mat Wakeham’s iconic comic strips and creations take center stage in the Deluxe Edition of Phoo Action: Silver Jubilee. The superstar, supercop duo of Whitey Action and Terry Phoo once again battle side-by-side, as the edition celebrates the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Phoo Action universe.

 

However, these celebrations are cut short, on Whitey’s 18th birthday, and the protagonists are forced to combat their notorious foes ‘The Freebies’, who are among the ridiculous mutants that have returned to the filthy streets of Soho and are once again wreaking havoc. There are original, brilliant, and bizarre comics and all-new, gripping prose storylines, featuring unseen characters and nostalgic reappearances taking their places for an epic battle, ensuring that new and dedicated Phoo Action fans are going to be enthralled.

 

The Deluxe Edition is a must-have for collectors, with extra features including exclusive art prints, original scripts on specially printed paper stock, exciting gatefolds, and a sleek slipcase to present Hewlett’s signature graphic style and Mat Wakeham’s design and narrative mastery in all its intended glory.

 

The longtime collaborators deliver a unique blend of irreverent humor, unconventional crime-fighting, and mutant mayhem. Readers gain an insight into the creative minds behind not only Phoo Action but also the cult-classic Tank Girl and ground-breaking Gorillaz projects. Learn about the elusive Hewlett, gain insight into his working process, and appreciate the art that predates and foreshadows the renowned drawing style that now spearheads Gorillaz’s stardom.

 

Whether you’re a Phoo Action enthusiast, Gorillaz fanatic, ‘The Face’ admirer, or a collector seeking an extraordinary addition to your shelf, Phoo Action: Deluxe Edition promises an action-packed adventure and immersive experience.

 

Here's a few more images to whet your appetite:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million and Forbidden Planet for UK. 

 

To see what Phoo Action evolved into, watch the group's videos at https://www.gorillaz.com/ If you watch long enough, you'll see one starring Bruce Willis!

 

Thanks to Titan Books for providing a copy for review!