IDW Publishing | Black Crown
(W) David Barnett (A) Martin Simmonds
Punks Not Dead #1 shows promising potential of a lively story arc with soft, but stimulating art to keep you hooked to every panel. Enjoy the brief history lesson on punk-rock music as a prologue. At the end, partake in a letter from David Barnett responding to the safety pinning, leather jacket wearing elephant in the room as he takes readers deeper into this vibrant universe where the living and the undead (and hell rats) collide.
As if Sid’s life wasn’t unconventional enough, it’s even harder being a ghost stuck in an airport for 40 years. Well thank the punk gods he crossed paths with little teenage Fergie. Fergie’s a boy that assists his mother in harmless quick cash schemes like fake magazine cover stories and over-the-top talk show appearances. His mom is just trying to get by, and all Fergie wants is to know about the incarcerated father he’s never met. Fergie is the only person that can see Sid. Looks like they’re stuck with each other, so let’s hope they make the best of it.
Meanwhile, a secret administration called the Department of Extra-Usual Affairs is pulling in recruits to deal with a past problem that has resurfaced. They take care of treacherous creatures dangerous enough to threaten national security, and apparitions of scandalous politicians who can’t seem to move on. London has a serious supernatural problem that needs to be kept under wraps.
This comic has the potential to be a lot of fun. Sid takes the stereotypical ghost friend role (because that’s a thing these days) while hanging with Fergie and teaching him how to stand up to his bully. He definitely has a different perspective on humans and how the world works. How can he not when he’s been bound in a public vicinity for decades with no entertainment but cracking jokes and scaring the literal crap out of people? Ironically for Sid, there’s a species of nasty looking creatures seen in London that’s attracted to music. There’s a chance Sid could clash with the Department of Extra-Usual Affairs. Sid could serve a world-saving purpose before he can move on, help Fergie connect with is father, or he’s just stuck on Earth forever because of a posthumous accident. Only time (and more issues) will tell!
