Axe Cop: President of the World #3 Review
Writer: Malachai Nicolle
Art: Ethan Nicolle
Review by David Short
Axe Cop: President of the World #3 wraps up our latest adventure with Axe Cop, and Malachai and Ethan Nicolle send us off with a jam-packed issue. From Goo-rillas (Gorrilas made of goo) to a man injected with blood from everything on Earth—aptly named Everyman—our hero has quite a bit to take on. And all of it is handled in a way that we can only expect from Axe Cop.
Yes, this book is out there. Yes, there isn’t much depth of character, or gritty storylines, or much anything of what we are used to in comics. But there is child-like enthusiasm and imagination for days. This miniseries has focused heavily on Axe Cop building a team, and rather than gigantic battle royal between all the Bad Guys and Axe Cop, we get a more subdued final chapter. Axe Cop is able to bring everyone together, and does so relatively peacefully. In the end, it’s a story about a guy wanting to be surrounded by people to help him help others.
I spoke before about how Malachai is very transparent about what he finds important to him. This entire series attests to that, and he is in a stage of development in which surrounding himself with people is important to him. I never thought working in before and after school care programs would ever help me outside of references, but I know (very well) just how important that stage is. It’s constantly on the child’s mind, and shapes their character to fit in with those they associate themselves with. It’s why we see Axe Cop wanting people to be on his side. Kids want friends to share similar interests. It makes them feel safe, like they’re normal. All of these thought are extremely important to understanding just why this series turned out the way it did, but that’s enough psycho-babble for one review.
Ethan Nicolle is probably the only person suited for the Axe Cop job. While any other artist could come in and give art that fits the tone, the goings on, or the style that would fit Malachai’s story, I’m not sure anyone else would take the time to understand just what is going on in the little guy’s head. I really feel like I’m reading a child’s dream, and I believe it’s because Ethan takes the time to understand what his kid brother is envisioning. And let’s face it, the art compliments to story perfectly. This issue is more serious than past ones, and because of that we lose some of the tongue in cheek humor that the series’ art has given us. Still, it’s very solid work.
Verdict
Please, show Dark Horse they made the best decision a smaller company could make in bringing Axe Cop back to us. Buy this book! Let your mind go and just have a good time reading the ridiculous, awesome, insane trip that is Axe Cop: President of the World.
