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The Exterminators #3
The Exterminators, Vol. 3: Lies of Our Fathers
In this volume collecting issues #11-16, the Bug-Bee-Gone boys bury one of their own while another member of the team remains missing, but the business of bug-killing must go on.
144 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2007
66 people want to read
About the author
Simon Oliver
207 books26 followersSimon Oliver was hatched in South London in 1969. Since that date he has consistently strived for mediocrity in a number of fields of employment, from cooking at the legendary Hacienda Club of Manchester in the late 1980's, scuba diving instructor in the planet's more tropical climes, to a career as a camera assistant in Hollywood. With such a spotty and heterogeneous employment record is seemed only fitting that the comic book would industry welcome him with open arms in 2005 for his writing debut in THE EXTERMINATORS.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 18 reviews
March 4, 2018
This one was a doozy.
Even though Vol. 3 picks up where the last left off, there's no logical segue from the occurrences nor plot from the predecessor. Previous incidents are basically dismissed or forgotten until their consequences are entailed three issues in. If that wasn't incoherent enough, this one begins with the vaporization of a squirrel (really) which somehow transitions into ruminations on the modern dating scene. Instead of Lady and the Tramp we get recollections of the Cambodian Genocide/instead of spaghetti we're given bugs/all this happens under the umbrella of a date.
Low on dialogue and high on action, these first two issues are repetitive beyond belief. Wide panels belie simplistic filler and find themselves over-saturated with mind numbingly vast heapings of blood 'n' guts splattering across the quadrilaterals. Deployed Orientalized filters are just as offensive as the illustrated porn that takes places shortly thereafter.
Do you really want to keep reading at this point?
If the depictions of genocide and insect driven human experimentation (Unit 731 style) weren't enough, issue 13# opens with avicide. If that wasn't weird enough, other than a few tiny snippets of the conspiracy from before (which was supposed to be the main plot device?) these next two issues are literally just excerpts from the fictional, "In the Day of the Life of an Exterminator." The main plot doesn't really move forward. Instead we're treated to the edgy over-use of the F-bomb and even the ever pernicious N-word as well. Just when I thought things couldn't get even weirder/more offensive, a few pages later the main character performed CPR on a Gerbil. Panels later, the rodent explodes. Oliver's attempts at humor are just bizarre/somehow this is supposed to make me laugh.
Ha ha ha
I won't bother you with all the details of the rest of this edition but needless to say, things don't (nor could they possibly) get any better. Alongside the villain's exposition of his evil plan (in true Scooby-Doo fashion) a true cornucopia of grotesqueness rules the waves of the last sixty some pages. Hold your breath kids: Racism/White Nationalism/Rape/Animal Cruelty etc... just to name a few of the perversions here.
Karen Berger should be ashamed this ever went into print and Simon Oliver should huff bug spray until he ends up like the 'roaches in the Orkin commercials.
Two thumbs down.
Even though Vol. 3 picks up where the last left off, there's no logical segue from the occurrences nor plot from the predecessor. Previous incidents are basically dismissed or forgotten until their consequences are entailed three issues in. If that wasn't incoherent enough, this one begins with the vaporization of a squirrel (really) which somehow transitions into ruminations on the modern dating scene. Instead of Lady and the Tramp we get recollections of the Cambodian Genocide/instead of spaghetti we're given bugs/all this happens under the umbrella of a date.
Low on dialogue and high on action, these first two issues are repetitive beyond belief. Wide panels belie simplistic filler and find themselves over-saturated with mind numbingly vast heapings of blood 'n' guts splattering across the quadrilaterals. Deployed Orientalized filters are just as offensive as the illustrated porn that takes places shortly thereafter.
Do you really want to keep reading at this point?
If the depictions of genocide and insect driven human experimentation (Unit 731 style) weren't enough, issue 13# opens with avicide. If that wasn't weird enough, other than a few tiny snippets of the conspiracy from before (which was supposed to be the main plot device?) these next two issues are literally just excerpts from the fictional, "In the Day of the Life of an Exterminator." The main plot doesn't really move forward. Instead we're treated to the edgy over-use of the F-bomb and even the ever pernicious N-word as well. Just when I thought things couldn't get even weirder/more offensive, a few pages later the main character performed CPR on a Gerbil. Panels later, the rodent explodes. Oliver's attempts at humor are just bizarre/somehow this is supposed to make me laugh.
Ha ha ha
I won't bother you with all the details of the rest of this edition but needless to say, things don't (nor could they possibly) get any better. Alongside the villain's exposition of his evil plan (in true Scooby-Doo fashion) a true cornucopia of grotesqueness rules the waves of the last sixty some pages. Hold your breath kids: Racism/White Nationalism/Rape/Animal Cruelty etc... just to name a few of the perversions here.
Karen Berger should be ashamed this ever went into print and Simon Oliver should huff bug spray until he ends up like the 'roaches in the Orkin commercials.
Two thumbs down.
August 31, 2010
The series still isn't living up to the promise of the first five issues, but it's not bad, either. I still like Moore's art, though he's replaced by John Lucas on a few issues here, and while John isn't bad, he does do a lot of weird face-lines, though not as bad as Liefeld. Hawthorne also takes over penciling duties a few times, and while he's competent, I miss Moore.
Oliver keeps trying to make the series more absurd, but it doesn't feel that original. He's brought in evil rapist neo-nazis, just in case an evil sexually deviant pharmaceutical company wasn't sociopathic enough. I appreciate books more when the author at least pretends that the antagonists are human. And the villification or racists, sexists, and the lecherous is just too easy, he's not creating real villains, just caricatures.
The book is starting to resemble Preacher more and more, and that's not praise. While at first, Oliver's love of the disgusting and grotesque was amusing, he seems to feel he has to keep upping the ante, until it's no longer about realism, but about absurdity, and when it hits that point, you lose a lot of the tension, which means you're also losing the horror.
Shock value isn't interesting unless it's a part of character psychology, and forcing character development with shock is cheap. Dealing with rape in fiction is difficult, though I definitely think authors should try to address it. However, I have a nagging suspicion that the instance in this volume is only there to put fuel on the fire for the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist.
I can't say this enough: using the rape of a female character purely for its effect on the protagonist is cheap and insulting, and a good author won't stoop to reducing the physical and psychological effect of rape to a plot point. Rape shouldn't just be a convenient equivalent to kicking the dog (as if we needed to be told that a genocidal neo-nazi is a bad guy).
The pacing still isn't what it was in the beginning, either, but it's not terrible. There's a fine line between a wicked dark comedy and a laughable splatter film, and unfortunately, Oliver seems to be slipping from the former towards the latter.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
Oliver keeps trying to make the series more absurd, but it doesn't feel that original. He's brought in evil rapist neo-nazis, just in case an evil sexually deviant pharmaceutical company wasn't sociopathic enough. I appreciate books more when the author at least pretends that the antagonists are human. And the villification or racists, sexists, and the lecherous is just too easy, he's not creating real villains, just caricatures.
The book is starting to resemble Preacher more and more, and that's not praise. While at first, Oliver's love of the disgusting and grotesque was amusing, he seems to feel he has to keep upping the ante, until it's no longer about realism, but about absurdity, and when it hits that point, you lose a lot of the tension, which means you're also losing the horror.
Shock value isn't interesting unless it's a part of character psychology, and forcing character development with shock is cheap. Dealing with rape in fiction is difficult, though I definitely think authors should try to address it. However, I have a nagging suspicion that the instance in this volume is only there to put fuel on the fire for the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist.
I can't say this enough: using the rape of a female character purely for its effect on the protagonist is cheap and insulting, and a good author won't stoop to reducing the physical and psychological effect of rape to a plot point. Rape shouldn't just be a convenient equivalent to kicking the dog (as if we needed to be told that a genocidal neo-nazi is a bad guy).
The pacing still isn't what it was in the beginning, either, but it's not terrible. There's a fine line between a wicked dark comedy and a laughable splatter film, and unfortunately, Oliver seems to be slipping from the former towards the latter.
My Suggested Reading In Comics
September 1, 2024
I'm not repeating my warning. I will say this volume is as funny, irreverent and sometimes as disgusting (in a funny way) as the previous.
April 14, 2015
Disclaimer: never read any previous volume. Wasn't really intriguing enough to keep me engaged. Plus, bad punctuation really killed it for me.
May 17, 2025
Jeez! The drama and mysteries are only getting crazier! A new character from the past! A character's past potentially catching up today. And a few characters growing even larger! This was a great volume. Taking a little break from the action to set things up for the future. But I was still fully invested the entire time. So many paths to follow and it never really gets confusing or lost. Everything is spread evenly and talked about just enough to hold you on. Leaving you constantly craving more of every little piece of story the series has to offer. And I can't put it down! I'm already picking up the next one! Highly recommend!
January 19, 2019
The researcher has a little problem dating back to his work in Cambodia. Henry has a big problem with his former cell mate. Henry’s girlfriend has a massive problem with her boss. And the bugs marched on.
September 27, 2020
3.4 stars
October 13, 2025
A good addition to the series. The TPB are fun reads for sure.
October 10, 2007
Vol. 3 is a wonderful addition to this series. It maybe my favorite, so far, but without the first two volumes that wouldn't be possible. This volume is all about the characters past, how their past can show up in their present, and what they will do to protect their future. Oliver's writing is deep with multiple layers. Like a great magician he will direct your attention one way and then completely amaze you. This book is nicely wrapped up on the last page and left me wanting more. I can't wait to see what happens next(I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true).
July 25, 2010
The continuing adventures of the Bug-Bee-Gone crew. This volume hinted at an origins reveal session. Saloth has connections to the Khmer Rouge killing fields. Mrs. Perez recounts childhood fears. Most revealing, though, is Henry's connection to Cleo Crone, the San Fernando Fuhrer. We learn more about his time in prison and now it's coming back to rue. Add in some further disgustingly brilliant art work and this was another enjoyable read.
June 23, 2012
I think I would have liked it more if it weren't for John Logan's artwork, which is kind of terrible. It's almost like sub-Michael Turner/J. Scott Campbell stuff, and really ruined the experience of reading the book, especially when compared to Tony Moore's superior pencils. On the other hand, the story in this one did feel a bit unfocused, and was a bit of a step down from the first two volumes. Overall, though, I'm still intrigued enough to keep reading until the end.
February 19, 2012
I had no idea when I bought this (at liquidation prices) that it was book three - I just noticed the wonderfully creepy roaches on the cover, and decided I'd risk my buck and a quarter (again, liquidation . . .) and now, I am hooked. I want to know where these characters have come from, and where they are going. I'm going to have to scour my local comic and half price bookstores, and hope I can find books 1, 2, 4 and 5
Got books one and two then re-read this one 2/18/2012
Got books one and two then re-read this one 2/18/2012
February 22, 2011
The story continues to move along at a nice clip, though it is getting weirder by the page. The whole mythos behind the bugs/uprising is really developing well and I am looking forward to where the author takes this.
May 27, 2010
comics,horror
July 25, 2011
Gerbiilikohtaus!! Gerbiilikohtaus!!
April 19, 2015
This Volume gets extra points for the greatest dating-scene in comic history. Hands down! :)
Displaying 1 - 17 of 18 reviews