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Buzzkill #1-4
Buzzkill
Ruben is an unconventional superhero who gets his powers through the consumption of alcohol and illicit drugs. On one fateful day, facing a world-ending threat, Reuben drank so much that he blacked out. He saved the world...but he has no idea how or why. Now, he's in recovery, trying to get sober and piece together not only the events of the night in question, but the broken parts of his life as an alcoholic and an addict.
Now back in print from Image Comics, BUZZKILL is a critically acclaimed miniseries from the creative team that brought you GOD COUNTRY and The Paybacks, and the writer of REDNECK, Babyteeth, Ghost Fleet, and more.
Collects BUZZKILL #1-4
"If you're in recovery, or you're close to someone who is, do yourself a favor and read this. Don't expect catharsis. A hippie Doctor Strange, a psychotic drunk killing machine, a wish that someone be killed to death by bees: all of these things you can expect. You can also expect something pure, and smart, and beautiful."-Alison Berry, Comicosity
"God, I wish I'd thought of this."-MARK WAID
Now back in print from Image Comics, BUZZKILL is a critically acclaimed miniseries from the creative team that brought you GOD COUNTRY and The Paybacks, and the writer of REDNECK, Babyteeth, Ghost Fleet, and more.
Collects BUZZKILL #1-4
"If you're in recovery, or you're close to someone who is, do yourself a favor and read this. Don't expect catharsis. A hippie Doctor Strange, a psychotic drunk killing machine, a wish that someone be killed to death by bees: all of these things you can expect. You can also expect something pure, and smart, and beautiful."-Alison Berry, Comicosity
"God, I wish I'd thought of this."-MARK WAID
104 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
561 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
January 28, 2020
Well. Ok.
I thought there would be...more?
This had a lot of potential, but it never went anywhere. I mean, I was extremely interested in the characters and where the plot was going, but then it was just over.
It had just started to get good, then the end credits rolled.
I've had this sort of thing happen a few times, most recently with Savior, and I'm always left feeling really let down. Like, why bother to suck me in if that is your ending?
Hmm.
Ok, so it's not exactly what I wanted, but whatever.
The gist is that this dude was a superhero who only had superpowers when he was drunk or high. You can imagine the problems. And now he's in rehab after {insert life-changing spoiler} happened. Like I said, I was interested until I realized that this was it and that there really wasn't any more to the story.
It's not bad at all, but this isn't the sort of story that I personally enjoy.
I thought there would be...more?
This had a lot of potential, but it never went anywhere. I mean, I was extremely interested in the characters and where the plot was going, but then it was just over.
It had just started to get good, then the end credits rolled.
I've had this sort of thing happen a few times, most recently with Savior, and I'm always left feeling really let down. Like, why bother to suck me in if that is your ending?
Hmm.
Ok, so it's not exactly what I wanted, but whatever.
The gist is that this dude was a superhero who only had superpowers when he was drunk or high. You can imagine the problems. And now he's in rehab after {insert life-changing spoiler} happened. Like I said, I was interested until I realized that this was it and that there really wasn't any more to the story.
It's not bad at all, but this isn't the sort of story that I personally enjoy.
October 10, 2018
Ruben is a superhero who gets his powers from drinking alcohol or doing drugs. But he recently blacked out and woke up to a destroyed city. Now he's in AA and going through the 12 step program. The problem is his rogue's gallery is still out there and they want revenge. This was an interesting premise and there's the beginnings of some very good world-building. Most of the story however, is just inferred with this just being four issues. It really needed to be six to fully flesh this out and remove my frustrations at the moments we miss due to the page count. Geoff Shaw's designs are good. His art is reminiscent of Sean Gordon Murphy.
December 22, 2013
As a teenager, Francis discovers that he gets superpowers when he uses drugs and alcohol. Later, having been a superhero for many years, Francis is now a drug addict and alcoholic, and he no longer wants to be a superhero as the booze and drugs have ruined his regular life, isolating him from his friends and family. The problem with getting sober is that he’s now de-powered and vulnerable for the first time ever - and all of the supervillains he’s put away over the years want their revenge…
Buzzkill amazingly manages to find an unexplored angle to the superhero story - the problem is that it coasts on it for the entirety of its four issue run. It’s an original approach to discussing the seriousness of abusing drugs and alcohol, and the effects of addiction, it’s just that if you’ve read any stories about people who become drug addicts/alcoholics, many aspects of the comic will be familiar to you. Francis goes to AA meetings, he goes through the 12 steps, he gets a kooky sponsor, he tries to change his life, he tries to get his girlfriend back - it’s all stuff that’s been done a million times before. That it’s done by a guy who’s a former superhero is the only interesting part of this, unfortunately it doesn’t add anything to it.
The premise of Francis getting superpowers from substances does seem fresh and exciting initially (though you might think Hancock or Asterix did something similar), but Francis’ superhero identity is never really explored all that much. He’s kind of like Superman in that he has super-strength, invulnerability, flight etc., and we do get scenes with Francis becoming the superhero to defend himself at certain points in the story, but his superhero self isn’t very compelling to read. Like the hippy Doctor Strange character - Doctor Blaqk - he’s a derivative creation but the writer Donny Cates doesn’t have much to say about him, other than it’s dangerous having a god-like being who’s wasted flying about the place. I know Francis’ superhero side isn’t the point and that Francis’ real self is important, it’s just Francis’ ordinary self is doing the aforementioned cliched things all addicts do in recovery, making for a rather dull story.
Without giving too much away, the conclusion is the cliched good vs bad fight though it is an interesting spin on another overused narrative trope. I wasn’t entirely sure how it was going to end but the execution felt sloppy with certain scenes in the final issue remaining either deliberately or mistakenly difficult to understand, despite multiple readings. I was sure about Francis’ fate though - the title is a giveaway - and I applaud the creative team’s choice to not provide the easy out, especially as this book has (at least as much as you can in a superhero comic) dealt with the reality of addiction.
Cates and co. obviously put a lot of effort into their book with the dozens of superheroes and villains included - that you’ll never remember - each given their own name and look, and Geoff Shaw’s art is really great (to give you an idea, it’s similar to Sean Gordon Murphy’s). Buzzkill is a fine debut book that shows the team’s potential for future comics, and kudos to Dark Horse for putting out this original concept comic, but it definitely has its flaws. Still, it’s certainly worth a look for superhero fans wanting to read a different take on the genre.
Buzzkill amazingly manages to find an unexplored angle to the superhero story - the problem is that it coasts on it for the entirety of its four issue run. It’s an original approach to discussing the seriousness of abusing drugs and alcohol, and the effects of addiction, it’s just that if you’ve read any stories about people who become drug addicts/alcoholics, many aspects of the comic will be familiar to you. Francis goes to AA meetings, he goes through the 12 steps, he gets a kooky sponsor, he tries to change his life, he tries to get his girlfriend back - it’s all stuff that’s been done a million times before. That it’s done by a guy who’s a former superhero is the only interesting part of this, unfortunately it doesn’t add anything to it.
The premise of Francis getting superpowers from substances does seem fresh and exciting initially (though you might think Hancock or Asterix did something similar), but Francis’ superhero identity is never really explored all that much. He’s kind of like Superman in that he has super-strength, invulnerability, flight etc., and we do get scenes with Francis becoming the superhero to defend himself at certain points in the story, but his superhero self isn’t very compelling to read. Like the hippy Doctor Strange character - Doctor Blaqk - he’s a derivative creation but the writer Donny Cates doesn’t have much to say about him, other than it’s dangerous having a god-like being who’s wasted flying about the place. I know Francis’ superhero side isn’t the point and that Francis’ real self is important, it’s just Francis’ ordinary self is doing the aforementioned cliched things all addicts do in recovery, making for a rather dull story.
Without giving too much away, the conclusion is the cliched good vs bad fight though it is an interesting spin on another overused narrative trope. I wasn’t entirely sure how it was going to end but the execution felt sloppy with certain scenes in the final issue remaining either deliberately or mistakenly difficult to understand, despite multiple readings. I was sure about Francis’ fate though - the title is a giveaway - and I applaud the creative team’s choice to not provide the easy out, especially as this book has (at least as much as you can in a superhero comic) dealt with the reality of addiction.
Cates and co. obviously put a lot of effort into their book with the dozens of superheroes and villains included - that you’ll never remember - each given their own name and look, and Geoff Shaw’s art is really great (to give you an idea, it’s similar to Sean Gordon Murphy’s). Buzzkill is a fine debut book that shows the team’s potential for future comics, and kudos to Dark Horse for putting out this original concept comic, but it definitely has its flaws. Still, it’s certainly worth a look for superhero fans wanting to read a different take on the genre.
April 21, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
I'm surprised to see many of my Goodreads friends are lukewarm on this one. I found this short graphic novel charming and creative, showing that it's still possible to make something actually original in superhero comics these days. Buzzkill tells the story of a superhero who gets the variety of his immense powers from being under the influence of alcohol or any other drug. After a series of truly destructive episodes, he realizes that he's losing control and searches for help in going sober. We follow him as he attempts the "twelve steps," all while dealing with various members of his rogues gallery that pull a collective bitch move and choose this moment to end him once they hear that he's powerless and giving it all up.
Not only were there some strong twists and turns that kept it fresh, it was also surprisingly funny as our hero deals with his Avengers/Justice League-style team and their feelings about him quitting the biz. I like the hints of world-building here. And not only is it a quick and entertaining superhero story, but it also takes a look at addiction and recovery at the same time. But although the end is bittersweet, I felt it went against what I thought the book was trying to say. I wish that it would’ve have show us that you can be a hero without power and without drinking.
I'm surprised to see many of my Goodreads friends are lukewarm on this one. I found this short graphic novel charming and creative, showing that it's still possible to make something actually original in superhero comics these days. Buzzkill tells the story of a superhero who gets the variety of his immense powers from being under the influence of alcohol or any other drug. After a series of truly destructive episodes, he realizes that he's losing control and searches for help in going sober. We follow him as he attempts the "twelve steps," all while dealing with various members of his rogues gallery that pull a collective bitch move and choose this moment to end him once they hear that he's powerless and giving it all up.
Not only were there some strong twists and turns that kept it fresh, it was also surprisingly funny as our hero deals with his Avengers/Justice League-style team and their feelings about him quitting the biz. I like the hints of world-building here. And not only is it a quick and entertaining superhero story, but it also takes a look at addiction and recovery at the same time. But although the end is bittersweet, I felt it went against what I thought the book was trying to say. I wish that it would’ve have show us that you can be a hero without power and without drinking.
December 14, 2017
Drink and become superman. Sounds like a easy deal, right?
Well we got our main character here, names himself Ruben in front of people in his AA Meeting but he is not that. He is not what he appears actually. He isn't drinking because when he does he becomes a Superman type of fighter except a lot more violent. I mean arms, legs, heads ripped off body type of hero. So he decides no more. He wants to go straight. Wants to live a normal life. However, villains won't let that happen so easy. With a sneak attack, dealing with lost love, and a final showdown with a nice twist BuzzKiller contains everything that should make it a homerun. Is it though?
Good: I enjoyed the art. Scratchy but worked for the style. I enjoyed the main lead. He had a terrible outlook on life but so what? It's the cards he's dealt. I also enjoyed the first showdown as it felt like their were actually stakes.
Bad: The series goes very dark. Like, yes, the material should be but damn is it depressing at times. A lot of people die, and quickly, and brutally. The ending doesn't leave off at a happy note (did you expect it to?) and I could see some people finding it too dark to stomach.
Overall it's short and interesting take on the superhero genre. It's not perfect, but it's not bad, I enjoyed my time with it. Around a 2.5-3 out of 5.
Well we got our main character here, names himself Ruben in front of people in his AA Meeting but he is not that. He is not what he appears actually. He isn't drinking because when he does he becomes a Superman type of fighter except a lot more violent. I mean arms, legs, heads ripped off body type of hero. So he decides no more. He wants to go straight. Wants to live a normal life. However, villains won't let that happen so easy. With a sneak attack, dealing with lost love, and a final showdown with a nice twist BuzzKiller contains everything that should make it a homerun. Is it though?
Good: I enjoyed the art. Scratchy but worked for the style. I enjoyed the main lead. He had a terrible outlook on life but so what? It's the cards he's dealt. I also enjoyed the first showdown as it felt like their were actually stakes.
Bad: The series goes very dark. Like, yes, the material should be but damn is it depressing at times. A lot of people die, and quickly, and brutally. The ending doesn't leave off at a happy note (did you expect it to?) and I could see some people finding it too dark to stomach.
Overall it's short and interesting take on the superhero genre. It's not perfect, but it's not bad, I enjoyed my time with it. Around a 2.5-3 out of 5.
October 30, 2021
Keď som to čítala, tak to bolo asi dve minúty po BRZRKR, takže som si užila kvalitnú dávku násilia a mlátičiek dvakrát po sebe. Buzzkill ma ale bavil podstatne viac, má skvelý nápad, sympatického hlavného hrdinu a koniec, cez ktorý som sa nepreniesla bez ukápnutia slzy. Cates proste vie.
August 21, 2020
(4 of 5 for kind of prequel to The Paybacks world with the greatest worst hero around)
I liked it, it was fun, thrilling, with good pace and the art delivered. I like Donny, his playful style of writing, even if I'm usually not excited about the complete result. But there are pieces I enjoy and the overall spirit is usually refreshing (at least for his Marvel standards).
But Buzzkill was nice, outperforming my expectation. Maybe the reason is the length, hundred-something pages are just enough for this story and not enough to give space for unnecessary "filling". I really enjoyed the premise based on a hero who gets his superpowers from abusing drugs of all sorts. And this brings its own demons. Sometimes it reminded me The Cape prequel - The Fallen (in means of the atmosphere).
Overall the Buzzkill is one of the best things I read from Cates. Making me wish that he would go back from Marvel to Dark Horse.
I liked it, it was fun, thrilling, with good pace and the art delivered. I like Donny, his playful style of writing, even if I'm usually not excited about the complete result. But there are pieces I enjoy and the overall spirit is usually refreshing (at least for his Marvel standards).
But Buzzkill was nice, outperforming my expectation. Maybe the reason is the length, hundred-something pages are just enough for this story and not enough to give space for unnecessary "filling". I really enjoyed the premise based on a hero who gets his superpowers from abusing drugs of all sorts. And this brings its own demons. Sometimes it reminded me The Cape prequel - The Fallen (in means of the atmosphere).
Overall the Buzzkill is one of the best things I read from Cates. Making me wish that he would go back from Marvel to Dark Horse.
June 6, 2020
Once you understand the premise behind the story, the story can only go forward in a few directions.
That made it a bit predictable to me. However, the story-telling and the art kept me engaged. Good dialogue. Internal conflicts. Smart of Donny Cates to tell this in the main character’s narration. Otherwise, it would not have made much impact. THREE & ONE-HALF STARS.
That made it a bit predictable to me. However, the story-telling and the art kept me engaged. Good dialogue. Internal conflicts. Smart of Donny Cates to tell this in the main character’s narration. Otherwise, it would not have made much impact. THREE & ONE-HALF STARS.
September 27, 2017
Eh. Seems to me like a pretty transparent "12 steps" meets superhero mashup.
January 22, 2018
This is a pretty witty fusion of superhero tropes with addiction and recovery tropes.
The superhero characters are all pretty stereotypical, but the storytelling is fine and well crafted. It's better than it sounds, particularly if you've seen more than your share of these. My favorite character is the protagonist's sponsor, a "Dr. Strange" type, whose dialogue, humor, and lettering style in word balloons are hilarious. Kudos to all involved.
I'll be rereading this one. Thanks to the publisher for for the review copy.
Recommended.
The superhero characters are all pretty stereotypical, but the storytelling is fine and well crafted. It's better than it sounds, particularly if you've seen more than your share of these. My favorite character is the protagonist's sponsor, a "Dr. Strange" type, whose dialogue, humor, and lettering style in word balloons are hilarious. Kudos to all involved.
I'll be rereading this one. Thanks to the publisher for for the review copy.
Recommended.
July 23, 2020
Čtvrtá hvězda čistě za humornou premisu, protože myslím, že moc lidí zatím nenapadlo udělat superhrdinu, který má své schopnosti z toho, že chlastá nebo bere drogy.
Jinak je to velmi krátká jednohubka, kde je poctivá dávka násilí, humoru a pár (trochu očekávatelných) zvratů. Smutné je, že pokud vás to chytne, tak toho víc není. Na druhou stranu má Cates spoustu jiných věcí, takže se vždycky můžete zabavit jinde.
Jinak je to velmi krátká jednohubka, kde je poctivá dávka násilí, humoru a pár (trochu očekávatelných) zvratů. Smutné je, že pokud vás to chytne, tak toho víc není. Na druhou stranu má Cates spoustu jiných věcí, takže se vždycky můžete zabavit jinde.
July 6, 2020
moc zajimavej koncept, vubec by mi nevadilo kdyby to bylo delsi, ale takhle to je krasna fast paced jednohubka. obcas jsem se i zasmal coz u komiksu nedelam. kresebne mi to hodne pripomina s. g. murphyho ale o par levelu niz.
August 20, 2021
(Zero spoiler review) 1.5/5
Alright Buzzkill, get on the list. What list is that you ask? The shitty, overrated books list. The shitty, overhyped writers list, and about a dozen other shitty lists I can't be bothered thinking about. This is the fourth Donny Cates story I've read. They've all been overrated and underwhelming, although this is possibly the worst. Again, we have an outstanding premise, and again we have monumentally average execution. I wanna keep this as brief as possible, because I really don't wanna think about this book any more than I have already, but the tone of this book is completely wrong. With a story like this, you either needed to go dark, or light and funny. Cates does neither, and tries to go for a happy medium somewhere in the middle. It does not work. The pacing of the book is all wrong. This could have been a longer running series, but instead, we get four volumes (probably for the best) where the plot points are hastily dispatched, with little set up or character development before a cheesy, tropey twist final page. The characters. The characters are one dimensional cardboard cut outs. At no point did I care about any of them. Not even a teensy, weensy bit. They were bad, and the writer should feel bad for writing them so terribly. Finally, the art. The art is the best thing about this book, and is more than competent. Numerous panels gave off a strong Sean Murphy, Tokyo Ghost vibe, if not quite reaching those heights. But again, the art, although good, was not what the book needed. It was all over the place in tone, just like the story, so maybe it actually suited it after all. Though with a story this bad, very few artists could drag me into such a shoddily created world. If this review comes across as a hastily assembled, barely coherent diatribe, you're probably right. I can barely bother my ass to string together a sentence about this book. Maybe the bad writing is contagious. Bad, bad, bad. 1.5/5
OmniBen.
Alright Buzzkill, get on the list. What list is that you ask? The shitty, overrated books list. The shitty, overhyped writers list, and about a dozen other shitty lists I can't be bothered thinking about. This is the fourth Donny Cates story I've read. They've all been overrated and underwhelming, although this is possibly the worst. Again, we have an outstanding premise, and again we have monumentally average execution. I wanna keep this as brief as possible, because I really don't wanna think about this book any more than I have already, but the tone of this book is completely wrong. With a story like this, you either needed to go dark, or light and funny. Cates does neither, and tries to go for a happy medium somewhere in the middle. It does not work. The pacing of the book is all wrong. This could have been a longer running series, but instead, we get four volumes (probably for the best) where the plot points are hastily dispatched, with little set up or character development before a cheesy, tropey twist final page. The characters. The characters are one dimensional cardboard cut outs. At no point did I care about any of them. Not even a teensy, weensy bit. They were bad, and the writer should feel bad for writing them so terribly. Finally, the art. The art is the best thing about this book, and is more than competent. Numerous panels gave off a strong Sean Murphy, Tokyo Ghost vibe, if not quite reaching those heights. But again, the art, although good, was not what the book needed. It was all over the place in tone, just like the story, so maybe it actually suited it after all. Though with a story this bad, very few artists could drag me into such a shoddily created world. If this review comes across as a hastily assembled, barely coherent diatribe, you're probably right. I can barely bother my ass to string together a sentence about this book. Maybe the bad writing is contagious. Bad, bad, bad. 1.5/5
OmniBen.
October 21, 2016
I read this entirely out of appreciation for The Paybacks. It was a silly concept. A guy that gains super powers from ingesting drugs and alcohol.
Then as I was reading it I realized it was way more than a silly concept. While it could've played up all sorts of jokes it went a darker path that resulted in a strong story of a man trying to overcome his addiction, and what it does to those around him. There were comical elements included, and a number of interesting characters. None of those overshadowed the protagonist's story and instead added to the plot.
Shaw is a pencilling magician. His facial expressions are perfect. One of my favorite things about his style is his ability to make characters individualistic. I feel like if you pick up a superhero comic plenty of the characters have matching looks and it's only the addition of different colored hair or a pair of glasses that make the characters identifiable. Not so here. Each character is their own. I love that.
The coloring is beautiful as well. The palate seems to know the mood of the story and go dark or bright in an organic way.
With the certain to be bittersweet conclusion of The Paybacks looming in the immediate future I'm excited for the recent announcement of God Country. Honestly this creative team is like a band that puts out nothing but awesome albums. I will gladly read any of their collaborations.
Then as I was reading it I realized it was way more than a silly concept. While it could've played up all sorts of jokes it went a darker path that resulted in a strong story of a man trying to overcome his addiction, and what it does to those around him. There were comical elements included, and a number of interesting characters. None of those overshadowed the protagonist's story and instead added to the plot.
Shaw is a pencilling magician. His facial expressions are perfect. One of my favorite things about his style is his ability to make characters individualistic. I feel like if you pick up a superhero comic plenty of the characters have matching looks and it's only the addition of different colored hair or a pair of glasses that make the characters identifiable. Not so here. Each character is their own. I love that.
The coloring is beautiful as well. The palate seems to know the mood of the story and go dark or bright in an organic way.
With the certain to be bittersweet conclusion of The Paybacks looming in the immediate future I'm excited for the recent announcement of God Country. Honestly this creative team is like a band that puts out nothing but awesome albums. I will gladly read any of their collaborations.
June 3, 2014
Miniserie de 4 grapas, que tiene una premisa interesante para echarle un ojo. Y es que el protagonista, que se presenta como "Ruben" en alcohólicos anónimos, es un superhéroe. El problema es que solo tiene poderes cuando esta borracho o drogado, al menos poderes de los fuertes, porque incluso el tabaco o el café le otorgan habilidades.
Pero quiere dejarlo, quiere mantenerse sobrio tras una pelea terrible contra un adversario muy fuerte, que luego sabremos quien es en realidad, y que ha ocasionado muchos destrozos y muertos. Su novia le ha dejado al conocer su secreto, sus compañeros superhéroes no son precisamente canela fina y los villanos pretenden acabar con el.
Así dicho es interesante y con posibilidades, pero durante los 4 números sufrimos varios altibajos importantes y queda como una premisa buena, un final diferente y coherente, pero un desarrollo algo irregular. Buen dibujo por momentos, violencia adecuada y es que si uno tiene fuerza como para arrancarle la cabeza a alguien, pues habrá que reflejarlo. Pero sinceramente, no me ha acabado de funcionar.
Pero quiere dejarlo, quiere mantenerse sobrio tras una pelea terrible contra un adversario muy fuerte, que luego sabremos quien es en realidad, y que ha ocasionado muchos destrozos y muertos. Su novia le ha dejado al conocer su secreto, sus compañeros superhéroes no son precisamente canela fina y los villanos pretenden acabar con el.
Así dicho es interesante y con posibilidades, pero durante los 4 números sufrimos varios altibajos importantes y queda como una premisa buena, un final diferente y coherente, pero un desarrollo algo irregular. Buen dibujo por momentos, violencia adecuada y es que si uno tiene fuerza como para arrancarle la cabeza a alguien, pues habrá que reflejarlo. Pero sinceramente, no me ha acabado de funcionar.
December 21, 2013
it's more of a 3.5 or 6, really interesting take on addiction and superheroes.
June 7, 2014
3/29/14 Great premise, decent art, weak script. Review tk.
4/17/14 http://www.iwantmytwodollars.com/2014...
4/17/14 http://www.iwantmytwodollars.com/2014...
August 19, 2015
What if a superhero derived their power from a drug. Meet Buzzkill. Interesting concept. Decent read.
June 16, 2017
Gritty and harsh in the realest way. What if you got superpowers from drugs? What if you couldn't do what you needed to do without them? And what if you couldn't be who you needed to be with them?
May 8, 2018
I didn't think that such a story could be told in four issues but it was, and it was a cohesive and emotional one. Can't wait to read it again and loan it to others!
June 19, 2019
Brilliant! There's humor, drama, relatable characters AND superheroes. The artwork is a bit rugged, but no less expressive and dynamic. This is a quick read that is totally worth it.
Ruben - not his real name which the story actively hides until later - is attending an AA meeting. Whenever he drinks he feels like a superhero - superstrength, flight, the works. He finally finds a group that he thinks is going to help. Doesn't sound like much, right? Now here's the kicker: he IS a superhero who gains powers from drinking alcohol and doing drugs. His group psychiatrist is a robot who recorded the session for supervillains who now want Ruben dead.
Ruben - not his real name which the story actively hides until later - is attending an AA meeting. Whenever he drinks he feels like a superhero - superstrength, flight, the works. He finally finds a group that he thinks is going to help. Doesn't sound like much, right? Now here's the kicker: he IS a superhero who gains powers from drinking alcohol and doing drugs. His group psychiatrist is a robot who recorded the session for supervillains who now want Ruben dead.
August 25, 2020
Sympatická jednohubka s velmi netradičním konceptem superhrdinství. Je to svižné i vtipné ale měl jsem pocit, že by si to zasloužilo víc sešitů aby měl příběh trochu víc šanci se rozvinout protože se toho děje až extrémně moc a nevadilo by mi trochu zastavit protože, když už si zvyknu na všechny ty postavy tak je vlastně konec.
Ale jinak jsem se bavil, že by hrdina dostával své schopnosti skrze alkohol a drogy je super nápad.
Ale jinak jsem se bavil, že by hrdina dostával své schopnosti skrze alkohol a drogy je super nápad.
June 13, 2021
Wow. Se lee en una sentada. Pero es impresionante como en tan corto espacio de logra armar el personaje, el universo y terminar con un broche de oro. Podría ser mejor? Si fuera una historia más larga tal vez se podría desarrollar más ciertos aspectos. Pero creo que de la magia nace de lo largo del libro. Un héroe que optiene sus poderes cuando bebe o está drogado y después tiene los problemas de cualquier adicto y la lucha interna por dejar las drogas y el alcohol es genial.
December 15, 2020
Il protagonista è un supereroe che si alimenta a droghe varie. Tutto ciò è profondamente sbagliato, ma proprio ben scritto e ben disegnato.
December 23, 2022
Not a bad read but not that much substance
April 6, 2014
I admit, a lot of the time when I pick up a superhero book, much like when I pick up a fantasy book (and I assume, when romance fans pick up a romance book - I wouldn't know, not being a fan), I'm not looking for anything new. I mean sure, a new world, some new characters, an adventure I haven't read before. But I like the genres for certain tropes and you'll never hear me knock a superhero book for being folks in tights in a battle of good vs. evil.
And a lot of that is front and center here, so if you're looking for something that divorces itself entirely from those themes, you'll probably be disappointed. Even the idea of a superhero being powered by a vice is not entirely new, having seen the same thing done in a way by the Darker than Black anime. I haven't read very much that deals with addiction, but I expect it's somewhat the same, if for different reasons. So if you were to imagine a comic about a superhero fueled by alcohol and drugs who tries to get clean I imagine you would expect a good deal of what you get here.
But as with so many things, the ideas are only a fraction of what makes it enjoyable, and in this case, I found the execution highly enjoyable, a story that treads the line between tragic and darkly comedic incredibly well, and while I think it could probably have done with an extra issue to explore things a bit more in-depth, I found it to be an engaging read.
Buzzkill starts with "Ruben" attending an AA meeting for the first time, and through his confession to the group, we get our first glimpse of who he is and what has driven him to try and get clean - even if it means giving up his powers and making himself vulnerable. He's snarky and angry and sometimes mean-spirited, but ultimately a guy who wants to be better, and it's easy to sympathize with him. That's good, since he's the thing that carries the story. The plot is fairly thin on the ground, giving the space instead to his personal struggle against himself and all the aspects of the world trying to push him back to alcohol, drugs, even coffee.
I love the art - it sort of reminded me of Chew crossed with the wispy skechiness of Natsume's Book of Friends. I don't think I ever had difficulty following the action or telling what had happened. The character designs were all distinct and fun too, with some being broad parodies of familiar characters and others looking a little more unique.
But ultimately they're just a bit of the dressing for this story about a man's search for redemption after having done some truly screwed up stuff and in some ways having ruined his life. But however much he might want to change, he can't just divest himself of his past, in more ways than one. I have a feeling this is going to be a book I return to fairly regularly.
And a lot of that is front and center here, so if you're looking for something that divorces itself entirely from those themes, you'll probably be disappointed. Even the idea of a superhero being powered by a vice is not entirely new, having seen the same thing done in a way by the Darker than Black anime. I haven't read very much that deals with addiction, but I expect it's somewhat the same, if for different reasons. So if you were to imagine a comic about a superhero fueled by alcohol and drugs who tries to get clean I imagine you would expect a good deal of what you get here.
But as with so many things, the ideas are only a fraction of what makes it enjoyable, and in this case, I found the execution highly enjoyable, a story that treads the line between tragic and darkly comedic incredibly well, and while I think it could probably have done with an extra issue to explore things a bit more in-depth, I found it to be an engaging read.
Buzzkill starts with "Ruben" attending an AA meeting for the first time, and through his confession to the group, we get our first glimpse of who he is and what has driven him to try and get clean - even if it means giving up his powers and making himself vulnerable. He's snarky and angry and sometimes mean-spirited, but ultimately a guy who wants to be better, and it's easy to sympathize with him. That's good, since he's the thing that carries the story. The plot is fairly thin on the ground, giving the space instead to his personal struggle against himself and all the aspects of the world trying to push him back to alcohol, drugs, even coffee.
I love the art - it sort of reminded me of Chew crossed with the wispy skechiness of Natsume's Book of Friends. I don't think I ever had difficulty following the action or telling what had happened. The character designs were all distinct and fun too, with some being broad parodies of familiar characters and others looking a little more unique.
But ultimately they're just a bit of the dressing for this story about a man's search for redemption after having done some truly screwed up stuff and in some ways having ruined his life. But however much he might want to change, he can't just divest himself of his past, in more ways than one. I have a feeling this is going to be a book I return to fairly regularly.
October 29, 2017
Intense superhero "torture" porn with a twist
August 26, 2020
Buzzkill was a series I was really excited to read once I heard the basic premise, but I'm a little disappointed by the final result. I feel like the main problem is its length, as four issues is fairly short and does not serve a story that's definitely dealing with some heavy subject matter well.
One thing I loved about this though is the premise. Ruben's a guy who gets superpowers when he takes drugs. On paper it sounds like an overly edgy 90's character come to life, but it's treated with far more finesse here. While getting drunk does definitely turn him into a figure who's basically got the ol' Superman cocktail of powers, it has the downside of affecting him the way alcohol affects everyone. And after so many years of being an amazing hero he's alienated himself from all of his friends and his girlfriend, leaving him lonely. So he decides he's going to quit.
But quitting doesn't make the villains stop showing up. So he has to resist the urge to drink again, and place trust in other people to save the day. And when things don't go as planned he essentially relapses, saving everyone but failing to maintain his own promise to himself of keeping sober. Naturally it's all a bunch of metaphors as you can probably discern but there's some real heart to it. Being addicted to something is hard, especially when it's so easy to just convince yourself that you NEED to do this. And the surprise reveal about his parents near the end also paints a pretty clear picture of one place addictions can originate in people.
Sadly, all of these great ideas and high concepts don't get the time they deserve, leaving the story to feeling almost unfinished. Though it does tell a complete story, it needed at least a couple more issues to better develop its ideas to be one of the greats, in my opinion. It's an interesting read for the cool metaphors at play, but it's also not really easy to recommend because of its problems. Check it out anyway if you like, but Cates has other, better stories to read and I'd highly recommend something like God Country by him.
One thing I loved about this though is the premise. Ruben's a guy who gets superpowers when he takes drugs. On paper it sounds like an overly edgy 90's character come to life, but it's treated with far more finesse here. While getting drunk does definitely turn him into a figure who's basically got the ol' Superman cocktail of powers, it has the downside of affecting him the way alcohol affects everyone. And after so many years of being an amazing hero he's alienated himself from all of his friends and his girlfriend, leaving him lonely. So he decides he's going to quit.
But quitting doesn't make the villains stop showing up. So he has to resist the urge to drink again, and place trust in other people to save the day. And when things don't go as planned he essentially relapses, saving everyone but failing to maintain his own promise to himself of keeping sober. Naturally it's all a bunch of metaphors as you can probably discern but there's some real heart to it. Being addicted to something is hard, especially when it's so easy to just convince yourself that you NEED to do this. And the surprise reveal about his parents near the end also paints a pretty clear picture of one place addictions can originate in people.
Sadly, all of these great ideas and high concepts don't get the time they deserve, leaving the story to feeling almost unfinished. Though it does tell a complete story, it needed at least a couple more issues to better develop its ideas to be one of the greats, in my opinion. It's an interesting read for the cool metaphors at play, but it's also not really easy to recommend because of its problems. Check it out anyway if you like, but Cates has other, better stories to read and I'd highly recommend something like God Country by him.
October 10, 2017
*Galley received from Image*
Proving yet again that the superhero genre holds immense potential for creative and relevant storytelling, "Buzzkill" presents us with a hero whose power comes from the consumption of drugs and alcohol. Rather than using this premise as a joke, the comic delves into the struggles of a man who seeks to be a hero but is weighed down by the consequences of his power source and his own choices.
"Buzzkill" succeeds as both a superhero comic and an examination of addiction, entwining the themes in both plots as the hero struggles to reconcile the conflicts and losses of his own life with his hopes for the future. This darkness is reflected in the rough imagery and violence of the comic itself, as well as in the often grim tone of the story. But the story is not without hope, and the creative team balances despair with perseverance as events draw to toward the final conflict.
So, there is a lot that succeeds in this fairly ambitious story, but it is not without weaknesses. Dealing with such complex subject matter, the themes and plot often feel as though they could have been developed more completely than they are. Similarly, the ending - while not bad - doesn't provide quite the resolution that I was looking for.
Despite my complaints, though, this is a complex and intriguing story that manages to use superhero tropes in an fresh and relevant way.
Proving yet again that the superhero genre holds immense potential for creative and relevant storytelling, "Buzzkill" presents us with a hero whose power comes from the consumption of drugs and alcohol. Rather than using this premise as a joke, the comic delves into the struggles of a man who seeks to be a hero but is weighed down by the consequences of his power source and his own choices.
"Buzzkill" succeeds as both a superhero comic and an examination of addiction, entwining the themes in both plots as the hero struggles to reconcile the conflicts and losses of his own life with his hopes for the future. This darkness is reflected in the rough imagery and violence of the comic itself, as well as in the often grim tone of the story. But the story is not without hope, and the creative team balances despair with perseverance as events draw to toward the final conflict.
So, there is a lot that succeeds in this fairly ambitious story, but it is not without weaknesses. Dealing with such complex subject matter, the themes and plot often feel as though they could have been developed more completely than they are. Similarly, the ending - while not bad - doesn't provide quite the resolution that I was looking for.
Despite my complaints, though, this is a complex and intriguing story that manages to use superhero tropes in an fresh and relevant way.
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