REVIEW: Awesome Holiday Special vol. 1 #1

Fighting American
Writer: Alan Moore
Pencils: Steve Skroce
Inks: Larry Stucker
Colors: Awesome Color

The Coven
Writer: Joph Loeb
Pencils: Jeff Matsuda
Inks: Jonathan Sibal
Colors: Donald Skinner
Review: Art Bee

Last year I wrote a review on the series, The Coven, which was produced by Awesome Comics. Awesome Holiday Special double issue was an intriguing buy at the time. I bought it for The Coven portion which turned out to be lame. This entire comic book is a much like a Hostess Snowball. Some people like the coconut marshmallow outside, others savor the cake inside, but very few seem to like the whole thing. I guess that is why it’s made to come apart so easily.

The Fighting American portion of the comic book looks like a rip-off of Marvel, but it is a slap in the face to Marvel. Fighting American was first published in 1954 by the writer-artist team of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby for Prize Comics and has resurfaced on and off since. Rob Liefeld restarted the series shortly after leaving Image Comics and starting Awesome Comics. Marvel brought a lawsuit against him for infringement of their Captain America property, which failed. This “Merry Christmas” story was just that from Liefeld to Marvel. This can be seen at the end of the story where Fighting American and “The Thunder God” are shown and deliberately drawn and dialoged to impersonate Captain America and Thor. In my opinion, this was an asshole move on Liefeld’s part, and I have no love for the man.            

The story really has nothing to do with Fighting American. It is just a battle between some teenage girl with a messed-up clawed hand named Spice fighting Smash, a Hulk-looking robot, with Fighting American narrating. There is no story to it . . . just fighting. Overall it sucks.

This short is followed by a Youngbloods short that is actually worse, but if you have ever lessened yourself by reading any of the Youngbloods comics you will not be surprised.

On the flip side of the comic (not a pun, this comic has two covers and you flip it to read the other half) there is The Coven short that features Scratch fighting a couple of demons who have come to torment him. This story is just as boring as the Kaboom short that follows, though it makes more sense.

The only reason this comic is still in my possession is for some of the great artwork. The Fighting American short has some of the crispest action drawings I have ever seen. Even with Spice doing an aerial kick to Smash’s large head, the definition in her lean, muscular, sexy legs is flawless. The colors throughout the entire comic book are simply better than most . . .even by today’s standards of digital work. One of my absolute favorite works of artistry is in The Coven short. The artwork is so original as most of the scene is outside is a heavy snow storm. Not only are the characters, action, and scenery drawn and colored exceptionally well, but the large snowflakes drawn over it all do not hide the detail and make it hard to see at the same time. That is something you have to see to believe but, please trust me, it is very true . . . oh yes.

Every comic book enthusiast has odd anomalies in their collection that may or may not seem to fit in but each anomaly has a reason to be there. Each reason is as unique as the issue to which it’s attached. A few times in the past I have thought about tossing this issue but, when I open it, the artwork screams at me to save it. Each time its pleas are heard and respected. Good art is NEVER trash.