a Bulletproof Coffin: The 1000 Yard Stare One Shot
Story: David Hine
Art / Cover: Shaky Kane
Publisher: Image Comics
On Sale: June 7, 2017
Price: $3.99
The long-awaited sequel to THE BULLETPROOF COFFIN! When indie publisher Image Nation hires Shaky Kane to write and draw his own comic book, the artist finally finds himself free from the tedium of visualizing the geriatric ramblings of washed-up hack, David Hine. See the awful consequences as jealous rivalry leads to a bloody showdown on the convention floor.
a Bulletproof Coffin: The 1000 Yard Stare is a tricky little one shot. Published by Image Comics and sporting the company’s 25th anniversary stamp of comic book industry endurance, one would expect it to share in the revelry or, at the very least, roll about in that sweet nectar which oozes from our now bloated nostalgia gland, squirting out jets of quick cash with every reference, reboot, and retcon.
Well, it doesn’t. In fact, BULLETPROOF COFFIN kind of points a gun at it. And kind of pulls the trigger. And kind of, well, no, TOTALLY sprays blood across the floor. Instead of paying homage, instead of celebrating the industries rebirth (Its third? Fourth? Who knows?), BULLETPROOF COFFIN is here to talk about the individuals who make all of the above happen and, by its end, how they reflect the industry as a whole.
So, it’s satire then. Really. A personification of the three groups that make up the publishing house, with THE writer representing ALL writers, THE artist standing in for ALL artists, and shifty, evil editors standing in for, well, shifty evil editors. On its face, its all pretty standard stuff, with the protagonist, self-titled artist Shaky Kane feuding with ex-partner/writer David Hine and sitting penniless and disillusioned in the conventions (ha) of modern-day pop culture.
As one reads that vague outline the lines,’Things were better in my day’, ‘what’s this world coming to?’ may begin to creep into the foreground and, honestly, they’re not entirely absent here. There are definitely times in this book were the sense of deja vu kicks in, what with a gruff and grumpy character railing against a world that has left him behind, especially bolstered by its faux-punk fanzine aesthetic and sledgehammer subtly. BULLETPROOF COFFIN skitters from snarky political jab to blatant cultural reference as gracefully as an octopus in roller skates, each limb whipping out to strike something, anything, and retracting just in time to catch itself from falling before shooting the story forward. It lurches down the red carpet of a superhero movie premiere, smacking action figures from the hands of children, ripping Target branded pop culture shirts off hipsters’ backs, and gurgling a barely incomprehensible, ‘you just don’t get it, man!’ as it careens into the theater and tries to crash through the screen.
The artist/writer feud is petty. The reasoning baseless. The industry jabs are so obvious its hilarious. The art is inconsistent. The writing is inconsistent. The middle third is an ego trip. Its protagonist is arrogant, self-absorbed, and bursting with the need to let its audience know how much he gets ‘it’, ‘it’ being the way the world works, man.
And in that regard, it’s the perfect Image Comics 25th anniversary one shot.
Why do I think that?
To SERIOUSLY summarize its long and fascinating history: Image Comics has historically cultivated itself as the scrappy underdog of the industry, the third, band shirt and slasher movie poster dwelling roommate to Marvel and DC’s classically styled condo. Founded by artist/writers who left the their jobs at Marvel due to being either fed up with a lack of creative control or attracted by the allure of wholly owning their own creations.
Historically, their books were late, inconsistent, boisterously presented and, more often than not, visually striking. This was the company that helped give the likes of Todd McFarlene, Jim Lee, Mark Silvestri, and…others, the means to pursue their passions in whatever way they saw fit, carving out their own niches and careers in an industry that still, one could argue, is monopolized by the Big 2. It’s this rebellious streak, this middle finger throwing runaway attitude that attracted the fan base that it still has today, and for BULLETPROOF COFFIN to mirror that history while delivering a perfect example of a classic Image style comic is, when taken together, its biggest success.
In many ways, a Bulletproof Coffin: The 1000 Yard Stare mirrors the history of Image Comics and looking back through the book from that reflective angle allows the reader to notice the deliberate tropes and homages. It knows what it is, trust it. It all has a reason to be. Can this be thought of as brilliant? Sure. Can it be thought of as too clever for its own good? Sure. Does the book stand up on its own? Probably not.
Would I recommend it?
To the average reader, interested wholly in the end product: I wouldn’t.
To those interested in the creation of said product: Dive right in. It’s not the best example, nor is the most elegant, but it’s a good spring-board to dive head first into the weird, wacky history of an important part of the comic book industry.
Happy 25th, Image Comics
