Force Multiplication

Schlock Mercenary #12

by Howard Tayler

Force Multiplication
"Request for leave granted. Just don't let me hear about this on the news."
Doctor Bunnigus has some unpleasant work to do. Like most people fated with a tiresome task, she cheerfully allows herself to become embroiled in a completely unrelated activity. And like any mercenary medic seeking distraction, her choice for embroilment is an ad-hoc military operation.
With no supply chain, zero backup, and a single carbosilicate amorph as their own force multiplier, the Doctor and her companions must infiltrate Haven Hive in order to make a house call. Unfortunately for teh house in question, and perhaps for all the denizens of Haven Hive, when Sergeant Schlock provides force multiplication the math gets messy.

Genres: Science Fiction, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics, Humor, Space Opera, Webcomic

160 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2016

About the author

Howard spent most of his happy childhood in Florida where he was on the swim team in grade school, and in a rock band in high school. He graduated in 1985 and moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University.

After two years there, he served two years as a missionary for the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), after which he returned to school at BYU and decided to move to Provo permanently after graduating and getting married.

He currently works full-time as a cartoonist, writing, drawing, and coloring Schlock Mercenary , as well as doing comics for assorted corporate clients.

He is married to author and editor Sandra Tayler.

See the author page on Schlock Mercenary website

Reviews

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got into reading this because I was getting into Writing Excuses and he's part of the team. What I didn't expect was how much I'd enjoy this light-hearted space military comic with punchlines on every strip. The preplanning for the stories and the organic way it flies really caught my attention, and the characters are all cute, including the guy that eats people.

[Louie Sosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I’m a fan of the author’s podcast (Writing Excuses) and they talk about Howard’s webcomic all the time, so I went to his website and it said to start at #12 so here I went. It’s neat and fun, though I know it’ll get way deeper as it continues to progress toward the ending (which I already know due to the podcast). Here are the voices I heard from the main characters. I’m a noob to Schlock, so die-hards may have better context, but this was mine:
- Schlock: Teddy from Bob’s Burgers.
- Bunni: mix between Lana from Archer and Tiana from Princess and the Frog.
- Ennesby: mix of Stewie from Family Guy with Jarvis from Marvel.
- Tagon: stereotypical Captain who yells in movies.
- Para Ventura: Kristen Schaal.
- Tailor: C-3PO
- Legs: that singing alien in Return of the Jedi.

[David Lamb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schlock Mercenary is my favorite webcomic, and I've read everything up to mid-May online. So it is inevitable that I would give this book a high rating. If you are a fan of the webcomic, you should be buying the books, since they are major source of Howard Tayler's income. If not, you're in for a treat, but you should start with the first book and read them all the way through.

[Shannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, this book is actually quite sweet in that - as Mary Robinette Kowal’s introduction suggests - it’s all about the loyalty and friendship that all the Toughs have for each other. Even to the retired ones. And the bonus story about Tagon’s grandparents was the cherry on top. 🥰


8/21/17 Review

The best thing about this book is it starred all my favorite characters (minus Tagon, of course). I still can't decide if I like Kathryn though. I keep going back and forth. It was fun to see Shep again! I was sad when he left. I hope we see him again!

It was a very cleverly handled story. It wasn't an epic tale of one of their jobs, but we got to see how trouble seems to follow these mercenaries everywhere, even when they have the best of intentions.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a big fan of Schlock Mercenary for a while now, and it's always fun to get a new bound collection. Even though I read this one while it was updating live, I find I get the story a lot more when I read it as a whole, because it happens a lot faster. Strong characters, great worldbuilding, great humor. And the art's not bad either.

[Yashima · Rating 5 out of 5]

No more reading the printed version. There is only the online version. *sniff* Anyways I raced through this book.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty and fun, this comic continues the adventures of a sarcastic mercenary team in the future.