War and Peas: Funny Comics for Dirty Lovers

by Jonathan Kunz, Elizabeth Pich

From the creators of the hugely popular Instagram comic War and Peas, this offbeat four-panel comic features a dark, fairy-tale aesthetic and a twist ending each time.

War and Peas: Funny Comics for Dirty Lovers combines twisted humor with a beloved cast of characters including the grim reaper (seen here as an unintentionally lethal man of leisure), a robot hopelessly in love with his scientist creator, and a promiscuous yet self-assured witch. Unlike most webcomic collections, this one tells a story using dozens of never-before-seen comics to chronicle the lives of several different characters and their follies during life, death, and their glorious reunions in the afterlife (and the after-afterlife).

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction, Adult, Bande Dessinée

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2020

About the author

Jonathan Kunz is a cartoonist at the webcomic War and Peas, which he runs together with Elizabeth Pich. Millions of people follow the duo on various platforms.

He is also a lecturer, speaker and founder of an independent publishing house.

Reviews

[MischaS_ · Rating 1 out of 5]

***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

Okay, this book had the unlucky fate that I read this right after the Awkward Yeti which is a very tough competition and this book just could not compete.

I actually did not realise I knew this artist before but while reading this I realised that I knew so many of the strips which was not very good. (I stated several times before that I do prefer if these online arts to a book have more new content than what was previously posted online). Which is actually rather strange since I could not find a media where I would be following the artist.
And Honestly, I maybe chuckled once while reading this, very disappointed. This book did not seem to have a theme, something to tie the strips together. So, it was a bit content dump. While I can understand that some of the comics were not my kind of humour but sometimes I even struggled to see what was supposed to be funny there.

In the end, I was mostly skimming through since I did not want to DNF this one.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some oft-kilter, 4 panel comics that may make you smile. There's nothing earth shattering here but I did find some humor. This is probably for a teen or older audience. There is some cursing and adult themes. The comics mainly revolve around a reoccurring cast of a robot, a dog, the Grim Reaper, a slutty witch (She refers to herself as such), a gay couple, and a kid ghost.

Received a review copy from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!

I'm not usually a huge graphic novel fan but I do enjoy short panel comics so I thought I'd give this a go. Specifically, I really enjoy the comics by these creators. I've been following them on Instagram for a while and I enjoy their content.

This collection was really fun. I particularly enjoyed the slutty witch and sentient robot panels, I'd love more of them. The slutty witch is my spirit animal!

The art style is simple but the comedy is great. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this.

*ARC received via Netgalley*

[Chesca (thecrownedpages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ARC was provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Whether you’re single, in a relationship, pining over someone, or just feeling dead inside, Jonathan Kunz and Elizabeth Pich’s War and Peas: Funny Comics for Dirty Lovers is the romantic humor for people who find reasons to laugh in the dark.

Maybe you’ll find yourself in the witch or the vampire she’s dating. Maybe you’ll relate to a robot’s unrequited love for its creator. Maybe you’re just a ghost looking for a purpose and a group to hang out with. Or maybe you’re Death itself, making the most of the afterlife. Presented through fantastical characters of the living and the dead, this comic book will surely melt your heart into giggles.

My favorite stories in this whole comic are those about Bob and Bob. They’re so adorable and the twists in their scenes are so swoon-worthy!

I’m giving this a star less because some of the panels in the first few pages were a bit bland. But things only got better as I went through the pages.

I recommend this fun read!

[La Coccinelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never seen the webcomic, so these comics were all completely new to me. Despite the subtitle, they aren't all that raunchy. There are only a few that wouldn't be appropriate for younger readers (most teens have probably seen worse, anyway).

I enjoyed some of the recurring characters such as the slutty witch, the two Bobs, the little ghost boy, and the robot. None of the comics were laugh-out-loud funny (at least, not in my opinion), but they are amusing.

I might have to check out the online version. There's plenty to smile over here, so now I'm curious about the comic's origins.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were 3 or 4 really good comics, and the rest ranged from mediocre to bad. The humor does get pretty dark (a lot of comics about dead babies/children, one strip making fun of a blind person, and a handful of jokes about suicide).

I did like the Grim Reaper character, though.

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[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I was really excited for this one, but didn't really find myself laughing hardly at all and found a lot of it quite boring.

Copy received from author in exchange for review. All opinions here are expressly my own.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was hilarious! I found myself laughing so hard at some of the comics in here! It’s a fun and sometimes morbid tromp into humanity and it was awesome.

The only reason why it isn’t a full five stars is because of all the suicide jokes which could be deemed harmful to some people. This contains a lot of dark humor, so if that isn’t your sort of thing then I wouldn’t recommend it to you.

For all those who like dark humor and don’t take it too seriously you will probably really enjoy this and find it just as a funny as I did,

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog Nonstop Reader.

War and Peas: Funny Comics for Dirty Lovers is a collection of webcomics produced by Jonathan Kunz and Elizabeth Pich. Originally published on their webcomic War and Peas, this collection, due out 3rd March 2020 is 160 pages and will be available in paperback format.

The art is deceptively simple. The single page comics are in 4 panel format, with many recurring characters (Death shows up quite often, for example). The humor is ever so slightly off-kilter and is surreal with elements of magical realism, nerd culture, absurdism, and irony. About half of them elicited a smile or giggle from me.

This would be a good selection for current fans of the authors' work online, or for fans of webcomic style 4 panel art in general. It's a very fast read with appealing quirky art with a modern (somewhat nihilist) aesthetic.

Three and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Sandra Uv · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

No ha estado mal pero me lo esperaba mas bestia

[Resh (The Book Satchel) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hilarious read; a fast one too. I came to know of the creators of these comics through Twitter. Later I found out how big they were! War and Peas is well worth the hype. These don't make you giggle, they make you laugh out loud, scream in laughter. I like how the characters reappear after some pages—it was a nice touch. Morbid, dark, wickedly funny. There are vampires, the Grim reaper, a witch trying online dating, ghost, robots, scientists—a mad, funny cast that are guaranteed to make you laugh. I found only very few of the comics to be meh/okay-ish. Most were pretty good. This book would make a great gift for someone with a nice sense of humour.

Much thanks to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

[Maddie O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley.

Some of this was super funny and some of it was kinda meh but overall it was enjoyable! I especially liked the use of recurring characters spread out through the comics. Would recommend if you have a darker/drier sense of humor.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you familiar with the web comic War and Peas, then you know the humor here, a very dark, oddly funny four panels, with the kicker in the second and last panel. The main characters are Death, a witch, a dog, a robot and ghost. There are a few others, but those appear to be the ones used the most often.





I didn't find myself laughing out loud to any, though I did find them amusing.

It is the sort of book you would give as a joke, to people with the same dark humor as the authors.

Obviously, people who love the web comic should pick it up.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Macarena (followed that rabbit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

~This ARC has been gently provided in exchange for an honest review~

Comics with a dark and morbid humor. Quite original and funny.
There are several characters with their own strips, such as the Grim Reaper, a dog, a robot, and a witch (those are my favourites).
All the comics in the book are new, in case you follow War and Peas on instagram.

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This silly volume collects the panels of the War and Peas web comic. There are several running themes, my favorite was the skateboarding death who loves his (her?) job. The humor is rather dark. Some jokes are dirty, others slapstick, some are just silly. I found it mildly amusing, neither too great nor too bad.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, absurd and dark humor in a web comic cartoons style. Very light for sure but it had me laughing a couple of time so no waste. Small piece of entertainment! Enjoyable!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing cartoons full of dark humor with several recurring characters whose slowly developing storylines occasionally cross over. In addition to Slutty Witch and the Grim Reaper on the cover, there are the seemingly immortal gay couple Bob and Bob, the very mortal Penny and her husband, the professor and her sentient robot, Good Boy the dog, and Gary the boy ghost. Worth a look if your taste in humor is a bit twisted.

[fer · Rating 3 out of 5]

é legalzinho. tem umas piadas meio produto de seu tempo, mas é engraçadinho e a arte é de um estilo bem clean, achei bonitinho no geral com um humor acido

[Wendy Jonson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Kunz’s and Pich’s Hi, Earth, so I decided to check out this one too. It is weird, sort of amusing, but more just odd. Definitely a strange kind of humor.

[BookCupid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I follow them on Instagram and just had to see what this book was all about.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so funny. What else can I say?

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm what you'd call a "strict reviewer" and I rarely give out five star reviews, but when I turned the last e-page there were no doubts about how I'd rate this collection. Obviously, when it comes to humor what really matters is what kind of stuff you find funny, but to get a better sense of what's going on here I'll try to summarize for you:

All comics have four panels, and most are gathered on one page each, topped with a fitting (and often funny) title. A few comics are split on two separate pages. The effect of these comics is great, because you have to turn the page to reach the "punchline". The art style is minimalistic, but pretty and not at all morbid or vulgar. The point isn't to rouse disgust or be explicit even when the humor takes a darker turn.

At first the comics can seem to not have much to do with each other, but there is a narration to be found. The same characters appear throughout the collection. My personal favorites of the reoccurring characters are the grim reaper, Bob & Bob and the slutty witch (& her vampire boyfriend), but the little ghost, the first sentient robot & the professor, and the dog follow close behind.

As for the humor, it's absurd. The supernatural both are and aren't normalized, animals think just like humans and everyone is simultaneously smart and stupid. It's socially critical and plays with our expectations and stereotypes, often taking the joke in an unexpected - often a little dark - direction. I wouldn't describe my own humor as a really dark or twisted one, but I enjoyed the book anyway. It's so absurd, but the art style softens the effect. I have a hard time to characterize any of the characters as "evil" or "bad" despite the objectively very bad things they do. And hey, the grim reaper just want to stop working and retire already! Who can't relate to that?

I think this book is perfect as a gift or to have out on the side table for your guests to look through if you want to keep them from peering around and wondering when the last time you dusted off the upper shelves was. I warmly recommend (though not for kids)!

I received a free e-copy of this comic book in exchange for an honest review.

[Ken Yuen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeah this comic strip is a lot of fun. If you're not sure, just go read the webcomic then check out the book if you're hooked.

[Alex Sarll]

A collection of four-panel gag comics which at first appear to stand alone, but gradually stitch together into something more. Not only do characters such as the first sentient robot, the dog who's tired of being a good boy, the grim reaper and the slutty witch recur, but their next appearance will build on the punchline of their previous one, and occasionally they even cross over. Who knew the mania for shared universes would run so far? And it is definitely something closer to that than the usual comic strip gang structure. Also, they're very funny, or at least I thought so, certainly measured by the metric of how many you want to show the poor sod who's in the room while you're reading them. And there's even one about what to do if they don't agree! Absurdist, wry, often quite dark without being tritely edgy; very much up my street, though as ever with humour it shouldn't need saying that YMMV.

(Netgalley ARC)

[Doe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating - 3.5 stars

I come across the War and Peas comics once in a while when I'm goofing around on the Internet, so I was excited when this ARC was available on Netgalley! I really enjoyed this collection. The humour is a little dry and dark, so probably not all of it is for everyone. But it's still entertaining! The art style is unique and accessible and despite the book being a collection of single page comics, there was some narrative there which was pretty cool! Would definitely recommend if you're looking for a quick read! 😁

[Raven Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Ok, so I already love War and Peas, and clearly I have need of this wonderful book in both my personal and our libraries collection. Dark, twisted, witty comics that will have you chuckling out-loud. Yes, you will indeed chuckle aloud when reading this, beware, I realize this is almost a dead notion. How dare we express joy and agreement? I truly can't wait to get our copy so that I can read it, chuckle aloud in our somewhat peaceful library and then show them cover with a very grim reaper and a very slutty witch!

[Irena · Rating 5 out of 5]

/I read this as an arc on NetGalley./

I was reading this comic on Tapas so when I saw there is an arc I had to read their comics again.
This is full of dark humor, witches, death, doggos.
This isn't for everyone and not all will find this funny. But for all readers out there with a dark sense of humor, this is the book for you.

But at the same time, some of the topics are drawn from everyday life and hard-hitting.

[& She Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided and ARC of this Via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Honestly this was absolutely freaking hilarious lol The art is super cute and if you love dry humor
this is 100% for you

I definitely want to own this book and go through it whenever I'm having a bad day lol

I won't give anything away (although im not sure if spoilers for something like this actually matters?)
but a certain Witch is my favorite character

[Fiebre Lectora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Canelita en rama. Hay que ver lo mucho que me he reído con cada escena.
Un humor sarcástico, irreverente, y con algo de mala leche, pero que a veces resulta hasta tierno.
Fan total.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

some were funnier than others, but it would have been nice if they were organized into some sort of theme or by categories.