Skullkickers #9

Written by Jim Zubkavich
Art by Edwin Huang and Misty Coats

The solicitation text for this issue read:  "This issue: More of the SAME!", and that's exactly what it delivers.  Skullkickers has been remarkably consistent, meaning that it is a very dependable book, if you are looking for a level of hilarity and unpredictability that we don't often see in independent comics these days.

When last we saw our heroes, they were being tossed into a pit to fight a giant horned ape in order to prove their mettle to a gang of thieves.  This issue opens with the poor ape, named Ape Wit' Horns, having received the worse of the situation.  The 'Kickers are sent to buy new clothes, and retrieve a map for their new associate.  Strangely, all of this stuff works out perfectly for them, as they retrieve their own clothes and weapons (did anyone else think the woman in the market looked like Gran'ma Ben, from Bone?), and they later run in to just the person they are looking for.

Zubkavich is playing around with themes of fate and destiny, and so none of these things are really coincidences.  As always, there's a lot to love about this comic.  My favourite part of this issue is that the tall bald 'Kicker doesn't understand Thieves' Cant, the argot of the underworld, but he is able to communicate with squirrels.  I look forward to having that explained at some point.

As always, Skullkickers is one of the more unique titles on my pull-list, and I appreciate it for that.