Total THB, Volume 1

by Paul Pope

Discover the indie sci-fi epic that broke new ground in graphic novels with Total THB, Volume 1.

Mars is a planet divided. In the north, the bohemian Plutonium City teems with music and art. In the south, the people of Velo City are stifled by an oppressive bureaucracy with a tightening grip. And it is in Velo City that we find HR Watson, the sheltered daughter of a wealthy industrialist, and THB, her loyal but mysterious bodyguard who can expand from a tiny rubber ball to a nine-foot-tall humanoid with just a splash of water. To HR, THB is a novelty—a strange new toy of dubious value. But when she finds herself in the crosshairs of her father’s enemies, HR will quickly discover the true extent of THB’s power.

Over thirty years since its debut, the world of THB continues to inspire loyal readership and critical acclaim. Now for the first time, New York Times–bestselling author and Eisner Award–winner Paul Pope’s sprawling, self-published vision is gathered in three definitive editions, featuring remastered art and exclusive new material.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

208 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2025

About the author

PAUL POPE is an American cartoonist living and working in New York City. Pope has made a name for himself internationally as an artist and designer. He has been working primarily in comics since the early '90s, but has also done a number of projects with Italian fashion label Diesel Industries and, in the US, with DKNY. His media clients include LucasArts, Paramount Pictures, Cartoon Network, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Conde-Naste, Kodansha (Japan), Sapporo (Japan), Marc Ecko, Dargaud Editions (France), EMI Canada, Warner Brothers, and The British Film Institute. His iconic Batman: Year 100, a science fiction take on the classic Batman origin tale, has won numerous awards, seen print in many languages, and appears frequently on many Top 10 Batman story lists. In 2010, Pope was recognized as a Master Artist by the American Council Of The Arts, and is currently sitting on the ACA advisory board. His 2010, short science fiction comic strip Strange Adventures (DC Comics)--an homage to the Flash Gordon serials of the '30s-- won the coveted National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Award for Best Comic Book of the year. He has won 5 Eisners to date.

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thirty years after its initial publication as an indie comic series, THB is finally being collected into book form. It is the first work of my favorite comic artist, Paul Pope. His frantic brush and pen strokes give his art life and energy. Additionally, this is a brilliant piece of world building. Pope crafts a story of corporate and government intrigue involving advanced robotics featuring a teenaged protagonist on the planet Mars. Rather than a sci-fi aesthetic you might expect, it is depicted in a punk-rock infused steampunk aesthetic.

[Zaidee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Despite being a fan of Pope's work I had never come across THB before. It is a wild ride, with an inky sketchy style and plenty of intrigue. I did find that some parts dragged, feeling a little too repetitive or dry. That latter portion of the book really gets going and I found myself a lot more invested with a scene change and the expansion of the cast. Interesting to read something from much earlier in Pope's career, and I'll certainly continue reading when subsequent collections are released.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Total THB Volume 1 is the story of the teenage daughter of a rich industrialist who finds herself the subject of a kidnapping for an unknown reason. The black and white illustrations and the fact that everyone wears masks outside made it difficult at times to understand what was happening. I really enjoyed the characters of her bodyguards Augustus and THB and look forward to seeing where the next volume takes us.

[Relena_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

While almost all indie comics originally published 30 years ago are for adults--and make that clear through the art--this first volume of THB probably could have been marketed for YA. I can see where it’s going to swerve more toward the adult portion of its audience in Volume 2, but so far it’s the story of an adolescent and her newly minted body guard and it could easily be for teens of HR’s age. I'm not the biggest fan of black & white only titles, but there was enough differentiation here to keep me happy and I'm really enjoying it so far.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this title.

[Alex Fyffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was first rediscovering comics way back around 2003, I was lucky enough to find most of the THB issues at the comics shop I regularly visited, including issues 1-5, 6a-6d, and even M3. I think I must have ordered the oversized Giant THB Parade online around then, too. Maybe through eBay. I was eager to devour everything I could from Paul Pope at the time. The comics felt special because they had a sense of playful charm combined with Pope's fluid art style, but I think part of it was also due to the fact that it was told across these sometimes random-seeming releases in various sizes and formats, none of which was collected together into book form.

Skip ahead some years, and I read a story about Paul Pope planning to release Total THB, the full story collected for the first time with new story beats and a completed narrative. If I remember correctly, it was around 2010 when this was supposed to be released. But as the years passed and no new information came out, I eventually gave up on the idea, assuming that it wasn't ever going to happen, after all.

And here we are, at the end of 2025, and I was shocked to find out that this first volume of the promised Total THB quietly released in early November -- I didn't hear anything about it until I happened to see it recommended to me by the algorithm this month (December). I immediately ordered it, of course, even though there's no rush -- the next volume isn't due for another half year. But I'd waited so long for it, I wanted to get my hands on it as soon as possible, to feel it in my hands. Until then, it still didn't seem real.

It has been a long time since I read the single issues, though I did read them multiple times over the years -- even so, some of the scenes came back to me with a wave of nostalgia, and others felt like reading the comic again for the first time. Whether the scenes I didn't recognize were changed/added or my memory just forgot them over time, I can't say. But a lot of the experience felt fresh. 200 pages of THB in one shot.

One thing I did clearly remember was the artwork quickly evolving on the series. Some of the art is a bit sketchy and loose early on before Pope fully finds his stylistic voice. You can see that wide range of work all here in one volume now, the last half showcasing the style he became known for, with the first half being a bit more inconsistent and occasionally muddy.

The storytelling also suffers a bit from this inconsistency. Most of the best scenes happen in the second half. That being said, I have always loved the scene where Zeno's Paradox comes in handy and where Agent Steinway tears through the apartment. And an early scene in which a character gets questioned by his superiors for writing his laundry list in poetry is a great bit of satire, as well.

I haven't dug through my boxes to pull out the old single issues to compare them with this first volume, so I can't fully speak to the changes/alterations/rearrangements that may have been made, but I had a good time revisiting HR, THB, Augustus, Percy, Lollie, the Jiggler, and the rest. Here's hoping volumes 2 and 3 don't get postponed another fifteen years...

[Niche · Rating 1 out of 5]

A bored/annoyed girl has a robot bodyguard that can be stored as a marble and expanded with water. She is pursued by kidnappers, presumably after her families science/technology.

It was pretty dry and had that indie vibe that feels like a mix of angst/ennui and silliness that never seems to hit the mark for me. The art also felt pretty rough.