Billy the Monster Hunter #1 (Scare Tactix Graphix – Rusef / Surface / Vinson)
See what happens to a small boy who fights Aliens, Closet Monsters and the general slime and ooze spilling creature populace, when he gains the ability to turn his toys into engines of mayhem and destruction. Can a 6-year-old save the world and still get to bed by 7pm? Sure … if you’re Billy and you’ve got the Boogey Man on the run!
As far as concepts go, Billy the Monster Hunter is one of the most original and creative books I have seen in a long time. A boy who can use his creativity and his toys and fight the monsters of his nightmares. Part Calvin and Hobbes and part Monster Squad, Billy has incredible potential to be a phenomenal property. R.H. Rusef (writing and concept) shows that he has the chops to put together something worth reading. While the potnential is there, something doesn’t quite get tranferred across to the reader in this $3.00 book. The first story, which is Billy’s origin is really pretty decent (the good writing makes up for the art that looks like it might have been done on a Windows draw program) – but is only about eight pages. The second story “Bill gets Grounded” has a tad weaker writing and the art doesn’t get any better.
This final product of my first exposure to Billy the Monster Hunter doesn’t nearly impress me as the concept of the character does. Scare Tactix Graphics could potentially have a great future with this property. And I can tell that there is a pretty good creative force in the team behind it… it just didn’t show in the issue. Here’s to hoping that they give Billy another go at it.
By the way, this book is middle school friendly, but I tagged this under horror because almost everything else coming from this publisher is adult horror. I hope to catch what else they are putting down sometime soon!
issue grade: C
