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Body Bags #1
Body Bags: Father's Day
Mack's as big as a house and as mean as a bull elephant. Panda's as pretty as a rose and as deadly as the ebola virus. They're the daddy-daughter, bounty-hunting team known as Body Bags, and this is the story of how they got together!
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
117 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 1997
1 person is currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Jason Pearson
237 books8 followersJason Pearson is an American comic book writer/artist, known for his work on books such as Legion of Super-Heroes, The Dragon: Blood & Guts, Global Frequency, and his own creator-owned series, Body Bags.
Pearson is also one of the original members of the Atlanta, Georgia-based Gaijin Studios, and has participated in several Gaijin Studios-related projects.
Pearson is also one of the original members of the Atlanta, Georgia-based Gaijin Studios, and has participated in several Gaijin Studios-related projects.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 18, 2016
the 90s were an interesting time for mainstream comics. and by "interesting" I mean shitty. well not completely but there were some trends that were so cringey that I almost had to take a break from one of my favorite nerdy passions.
Offender Number One was Rob Liefield. he helped to usher in a new era of mindless violence, mindless narratives, and art that made every male look like Hulk Hogan in disco drag and every woman look like a sex puppet for junior high school boys. he had his respectable accomplishments, here and there, but basically he was what one calls the worst. such a pernicious influence on comics.
on the other hand there were writer-artists like Jason Pearson. and by "on the other hand" I mean he actually had some talent with dialogue and narrative, and quite a large amount of talent with art. the intermittently published Body Bags is his semi-classic cult hit: a series of stories that made waves whenever he was (and is) able to publish them. Pearson and Liefield are worlds apart as far as talent goes, but they played for the same team.
here's something else about the 90s: it hated this thing called "political correctness". that hate often manifested itself in an in-your-face attempt at triggering and/or hand-jobbing audiences with stereotypes about race, gender, class, culture, sexual orientation, etc et al. much like any God-fearing, red-blooded American male with a certain tendency towards hair-trigger defensiveness, I also have issues with political correctness. namely, I hate that fucking name. it's a misnomer. it shouldn't be about being politically correct, whatever that even means, it should be about being decent, respectful, and empathetic to our fellow fucking human beings because really it's not that fucking hard, right?
so yeah, Body Bags. it's set in some grimy but still colorful near-future world where DARKNESS is de rigueur. or par for the course. or whatever phrase equals predictable. it's a crazy sort of world that features a whole lot of colorful bounty hunters performing a whole lot of contract killing. normally this is my kind of fun because hey who doesn't like contract killing; I've been mentally signing those contracts for years. fun! Jason Pearson feels his cartoony death-lovin' world is also one where he gets to have a leading character who is a 14 year old girl drawn as a porn star. because why not, right? he also gets to indulge in his other interests: sadistic violence, crassly racist stereotypes about low-income black people, fag-hating homophobia, rampant misogyny, a father beating a daughter (our two heroes, aww!), the whole anti-PC works. he also gets to feature a heavily pregnant woman getting a sword rammed into her belly by our father-hero because haha why not, the PC police will get all worked up about this amiright?
how audiences should view his product: a direct quote from fan favorite Jason Pearson:
also, I'm sorta drunk now because Happy St. Paddy's Day! and I came home with not much to do. just thought you should know that. come fight me, Jason Pearson!
Offender Number One was Rob Liefield. he helped to usher in a new era of mindless violence, mindless narratives, and art that made every male look like Hulk Hogan in disco drag and every woman look like a sex puppet for junior high school boys. he had his respectable accomplishments, here and there, but basically he was what one calls the worst. such a pernicious influence on comics.
on the other hand there were writer-artists like Jason Pearson. and by "on the other hand" I mean he actually had some talent with dialogue and narrative, and quite a large amount of talent with art. the intermittently published Body Bags is his semi-classic cult hit: a series of stories that made waves whenever he was (and is) able to publish them. Pearson and Liefield are worlds apart as far as talent goes, but they played for the same team.
here's something else about the 90s: it hated this thing called "political correctness". that hate often manifested itself in an in-your-face attempt at triggering and/or hand-jobbing audiences with stereotypes about race, gender, class, culture, sexual orientation, etc et al. much like any God-fearing, red-blooded American male with a certain tendency towards hair-trigger defensiveness, I also have issues with political correctness. namely, I hate that fucking name. it's a misnomer. it shouldn't be about being politically correct, whatever that even means, it should be about being decent, respectful, and empathetic to our fellow fucking human beings because really it's not that fucking hard, right?
so yeah, Body Bags. it's set in some grimy but still colorful near-future world where DARKNESS is de rigueur. or par for the course. or whatever phrase equals predictable. it's a crazy sort of world that features a whole lot of colorful bounty hunters performing a whole lot of contract killing. normally this is my kind of fun because hey who doesn't like contract killing; I've been mentally signing those contracts for years. fun! Jason Pearson feels his cartoony death-lovin' world is also one where he gets to have a leading character who is a 14 year old girl drawn as a porn star. because why not, right? he also gets to indulge in his other interests: sadistic violence, crassly racist stereotypes about low-income black people, fag-hating homophobia, rampant misogyny, a father beating a daughter (our two heroes, aww!), the whole anti-PC works. he also gets to feature a heavily pregnant woman getting a sword rammed into her belly by our father-hero because haha why not, the PC police will get all worked up about this amiright?
how audiences should view his product: a direct quote from fan favorite Jason Pearson:
"they need to be able to take the heat. This book is not for the weak."hey Jason Pearson, I know you are the sort of heavily muscled dude who looks scary and probably practices martial arts and keeps up-to-date on all of the latest military weaponry because of course you do... I have a very special secret message for you and your supporters:
also, I'm sorta drunk now because Happy St. Paddy's Day! and I came home with not much to do. just thought you should know that. come fight me, Jason Pearson!
January 11, 2019
I dug up this little gem and found to be a generally enjoyable read.
Immediately I was (as you surely will be) struck by the obvious similarities to 100 Bullets. However, a lesser application of details perfectly matches the equally un-nuanced story within. Something about assassination and whatever. But, if you’re willing to forgo a single scintilla of critical thinking there’s enjoyable ride for your appetitive side. The characters are fun, even if they’re not particularly complex. And the phosphorescent art style perfectly matches the tone and timbre of this work.
Style overwhelms anything resembling substance here but as BodyBags shows, that actually can be a good thing.
Enjoy the ride.
Immediately I was (as you surely will be) struck by the obvious similarities to 100 Bullets. However, a lesser application of details perfectly matches the equally un-nuanced story within. Something about assassination and whatever. But, if you’re willing to forgo a single scintilla of critical thinking there’s enjoyable ride for your appetitive side. The characters are fun, even if they’re not particularly complex. And the phosphorescent art style perfectly matches the tone and timbre of this work.
Style overwhelms anything resembling substance here but as BodyBags shows, that actually can be a good thing.
Enjoy the ride.
September 30, 2018
A Despicable and Yet Fun Read Graphic Violent Comic Tradepaperback The 90s was an experimental comic scene. It was bold, brave and daring even. When Dark Horse Comics under the imprint Blanc Noir release Body Bags, written and illustrated by Jason Pearson, I had no idea what to expect but filled with graphic violence, a simple yet action-packed sequences and probably one of the most despicable immoral tale of revenge involving a minor. The thing about this comic is... its an enjoyable good read.
Clownface had enough when a body bagger almost killed him and his partner and he is looking for revenge. When his daughter arrived on his doorstep after ten years apart, nothing gets worst than having his daughter wanted to be a body bagger in the action. With guys and knives are in the line of crossfire, Terminus City is about to get blown off.
I love Body Bags. Its simple, its fast and its the kind of action I enjoy most. With an edgy artwork to boot, every thing about Body Bags is worth a read. Although some may not agree due to the content graphic violence that spells despicable, I do find it honest on how its told and there is so much more to it than just action. While I do love the 80s scene, this comic is just right for my liking.
Clownface had enough when a body bagger almost killed him and his partner and he is looking for revenge. When his daughter arrived on his doorstep after ten years apart, nothing gets worst than having his daughter wanted to be a body bagger in the action. With guys and knives are in the line of crossfire, Terminus City is about to get blown off.
I love Body Bags. Its simple, its fast and its the kind of action I enjoy most. With an edgy artwork to boot, every thing about Body Bags is worth a read. Although some may not agree due to the content graphic violence that spells despicable, I do find it honest on how its told and there is so much more to it than just action. While I do love the 80s scene, this comic is just right for my liking.
January 1, 2024
Re-reading this as I work my way through a lot of my old comics and I had forgotten how good this was. No surprise that the art is just incredible, you always get that from Jason Pearson, but the story is just a blast to read.
Yes it is so over the top it is related more to an old animated cartoon than a modern action movie but that is a lot of its charm to. Clownface and Panda make a great duo with all their father and daughter bickering, I wish we could have seen a lot more of this series
Yes it is so over the top it is related more to an old animated cartoon than a modern action movie but that is a lot of its charm to. Clownface and Panda make a great duo with all their father and daughter bickering, I wish we could have seen a lot more of this series
October 20, 2024
not on cbr
January 8, 2025
This miniseries is notable for its art. A stand-out style that features bold ink lines, a mix of straights and curves that remains highly volumetric, subtle feathering on heavy spotted blacks, and flat colors with 2 or 3-tone shading that support the inks without distracting from them. Not to mention brilliant character designs that reveal a vast understanding of proportion and anatomy. The result is impressive and holds up very well today. Unfortunately, the artist peaked on this book and never came close to these heights again.
The story (written by the artist) is a fairly standard revenge tale complicated by the unexpected arrival of the assasin’s teen daughter on the scene, as well as his partner’s head injury and medical debt. So plot wise, it’s unremarkable but fine.
The problem is the morally repugnant characters. No heroes here, although the book would like you to think so. It’s shallow, juvenile, and confused.
The story (written by the artist) is a fairly standard revenge tale complicated by the unexpected arrival of the assasin’s teen daughter on the scene, as well as his partner’s head injury and medical debt. So plot wise, it’s unremarkable but fine.
The problem is the morally repugnant characters. No heroes here, although the book would like you to think so. It’s shallow, juvenile, and confused.
November 26, 2024
Moral? Nah, this kind of shit is for the rich and comfortable. For a "new" comics they really started heavy with the protagonist doing something really horrible. The drawings are fine, the plot good and reading it I found it to be entertaining.
Though obviously isn't a masterpiece nor some really great piece of comic art. I can see many people yelling and complaining how the author is a pig because he "oversexualized" a teenager. I would say they are half right, it is wrong to oversexualize a teenager, but I'm from a country were the consent age is +14 and putting an anecdote here: talking with my teenage cousin, who is a 14 and a girl, told me she had lost her virginity and had sex with two guys in her entire life, one older than her (and there is reason to believe her) and that her friends go to parties were things happen (lets leave it with this euphemism here) and talking quickly with her friends you really get what happens in real life. Is it right? I would say "no", but it is something that really happens since the teenage years is the start of your sexual life.
The violence is over the top, but the only problem I had was in the beginning were something happens, even though is brutal, I continued read (because I always do), the rest of the story is easier to swallow.
Edit: Years come and go since I've posted this review and the more you learn the more you look back at yourself in your younger years. There is no way in hell that my "it happens" argument stands up to scrutiny as I'm right now. My teen cousin should've been slapped by her mother and grounded for going to such parties. She probably wouldn't have a kid by now if her mother did anything to stop her.
Though obviously isn't a masterpiece nor some really great piece of comic art. I can see many people yelling and complaining how the author is a pig because he "oversexualized" a teenager. I would say they are half right, it is wrong to oversexualize a teenager, but I'm from a country were the consent age is +14 and putting an anecdote here: talking with my teenage cousin, who is a 14 and a girl, told me she had lost her virginity and had sex with two guys in her entire life, one older than her (and there is reason to believe her) and that her friends go to parties were things happen (lets leave it with this euphemism here) and talking quickly with her friends you really get what happens in real life. Is it right? I would say "no", but it is something that really happens since the teenage years is the start of your sexual life.
The violence is over the top, but the only problem I had was in the beginning were something happens, even though is brutal, I continued read (because I always do), the rest of the story is easier to swallow.
Edit: Years come and go since I've posted this review and the more you learn the more you look back at yourself in your younger years. There is no way in hell that my "it happens" argument stands up to scrutiny as I'm right now. My teen cousin should've been slapped by her mother and grounded for going to such parties. She probably wouldn't have a kid by now if her mother did anything to stop her.
September 24, 2014
Jason Pearson's sleep hit miniseries from the mid 90's sees print in tpb form once again thanks to new studio 12 Gauge and Image Comics! Originally published by Dark Horse as this Body Bags: Fathers Day the four issue miniseries follows Mack and his best friend and partner Pops in hunting down a rival "Body Bagger" who has tried to kill both of them and did almost kill Pops but did manage to kill Pop's fiance.
To complicate things is the arrival of Mack's long lost daughter who not only wants to reunite with her dad but also wants to join him in the body bag business, what follows over the course of four issues is a nice romp of a buddy movie turned up to eleven. It has action, comedy and heart that alot of comics just didn't have during the great 90's boom( this originally came out right at the start of the comics crash of the 90's ).
What this edition has over the out of print Dark Horse version is the inclusion of the full image that was half used as the cover of the Dark Horse version as well as the pencils for some of the pages from diffrent issues plus a pin up gallery. What it lost was a introduction page( which would have to be expanded upon at this point ) as well as a image of a young Mack with a I want to say toddler Panda on his knee. Here's to hoping that at some point 12 Guage/Image seem fit to publish the other series of one shots that Jason has since done ( 4 in total ) and here's to hoping at some point he does get to do the further Body bag minseries he's said he's wanted to do.
To complicate things is the arrival of Mack's long lost daughter who not only wants to reunite with her dad but also wants to join him in the body bag business, what follows over the course of four issues is a nice romp of a buddy movie turned up to eleven. It has action, comedy and heart that alot of comics just didn't have during the great 90's boom( this originally came out right at the start of the comics crash of the 90's ).
What this edition has over the out of print Dark Horse version is the inclusion of the full image that was half used as the cover of the Dark Horse version as well as the pencils for some of the pages from diffrent issues plus a pin up gallery. What it lost was a introduction page( which would have to be expanded upon at this point ) as well as a image of a young Mack with a I want to say toddler Panda on his knee. Here's to hoping that at some point 12 Guage/Image seem fit to publish the other series of one shots that Jason has since done ( 4 in total ) and here's to hoping at some point he does get to do the further Body bag minseries he's said he's wanted to do.
April 12, 2012
so. fucking. good!!! definitely loving Jason Pearson's stuff. art is very reminiscent of Eric Powell and Eduardo Risso. how did this come out in 1996?!?
March 14, 2013
Not usually a fan of violence comics, but Pearson has great characters and great art.
December 6, 2013
Ok, so maybe I'm a little bias but AWESOME!
March 23, 2014
The debut.
Kapow!
Right in the kisser.
Visceral and cathartic.
Kapow!
Right in the kisser.
Visceral and cathartic.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews