Let’s get one thing out of the way, right up top: Screaming Pain Ball might just be the funniest name ever given to a fictional sport, so this book got me on board very early. I Heart Skull-Crusher! comes to us from the creative team of Josie Campbell and Allessio Zonno, and this first issue opens at full speed and never really lets up. I’ve been looking forward to this series ever since it was first announced (particularly after falling in love with Campbell’s work on My Adventures with Superman), and it is already living up to the hype!
This book is ticking every box of what I want to see in satirical sci-fi, sports manga, and a post-apocalyptic hero’s journey — all while somehow balancing all of those elements in a cohesive, highly-entertaining package. The action/competition scenes are full of kinetic energy and expressive character acting that both sells us on the stakes of each scene and leads to plenty of laughs in some of the more intense action beats.
The book is also bursting with fun concepts that double as brilliant sight gags that world-building. One of my favorite examples of this would be the overly-descriptive trading cards that call some of the characters out on their flaws. I want to know everything about the rules of Screaming Pain Ball and how the world got this way, but I’m also so happy to just watch the chaos play out on the page. The design work throughout is impeccable, combining Mad Max-style practical armor and vehicles with tech and fashion that feel indebted to everything from Yu-Gi-Oh! to Battle Angel Alita. Every page feels filled with history.
BOOM! Studios
And then there’s our lead character, Trini. Life is hard in the end times, but Trini never really seems like she’s ready to give up. There’s almost always a bit of a smile on her face or a twinkle in her eye, even when she’s fighting for her life. Sometimes this devil-may-care attitude results in some sudden decisions that I found ill-advised, but that’s part of the fun. For instance, it does feel like Trini’s idea to invite the Twins over to her side comes about very suddenly, before she’s really seen what they’re capable of. Still, her refusal to give up and her ability to see an opportunity where others would see absolute failure makes her a lovable protagonist.
Even the fact that she carries her parents’ skulls around offers readers more than simple dark comedy. Trini is an idealist, talking to the remains of her mom and dad so that she can imagine a world where everything worked out for them. There’s a real sadness there, but also a sense that she’s determined to live life on her own terms, even after everything around her has spoiled. You want to see her finally impress her hero — and hopefully embrace her own heroic side — before the end of this tournament. I know I’m one reader who’ll happily pay for season tickets to this game.
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