If someone told you the origin of Mooby, Kevin Smith’s iconic bovine Big Corp mascot, had an origin steeped in sex, you’d probably call them a liar. Sexuality is a big part of its origin, as we learned in Quick Stops Vol 2 #1, and it turns out there are even more nefarious things going on once you read Quick Stops Vol. 2 #3. Out this week, the mascot cow and its creator have blood on their hands. Literally.
Quick Stops Vol. 3 #3 opens with the podcaster looking a bit shocked as she learns the old innocent woman who first drew Mooby pulled a gun on her lovers. Where’d she get the gun? Oh, she just blew a delivery driver for it. That information comes on a page turn, which thoroughly amps up the dramatic urgency of the moment. Will Nancy actually kill Lyndsey and Nick? Considering what she did to the delivery boy, I would probably say yeah!
Due to the violence, this issue is very dark. Kevin Smith and artist Ahmed Raafat reveal that Nancy is quite capable of doing awful things because of jealousy. It’s also because Nick and Lyndsey–both her lovers–are willing to leave her with nothing. Things get even more dark when Smith introduces the corporate element. What would a CEO be willing to forget, or even clean up, if the price was right?
Credit: Dark Horse
The twists and turns in this issue aren’t too surprising, but they are effective. Mooby has always represented a graven idol, so why not reveal its origin is connected to evil acts? It does make you wonder if Mickey Mouse or Ronald McDonald also have evil origins. Considering that some say Mickey Mouse was stolen, it all adds up and makes some sense.
My only gripe is Nancy herself, who comes off as practically pure evil. There’s very little humanity left, and I suppose you could argue that’s due to her being at rock bottom. That said, in the scenes in the present and the past, she’s one note.
Raafat’s art is excellent, leaning into the twisted things Nancy does and conveying her utter contempt and rage well. His style suits the black, and what with Ben-Day Dots used to highlight a character in a panel, or even stark black to do the same. The use of shadow and framing adds a 3D effect that’s not easy to pull off without color. Given all the death, it also has a nice noir feel with shadow and light, especially when Mooby shows up to Nancy in one scene.
As penultimate issues go, this one is highly satisfying. It not only wraps up one plot thread but zips along at a fast clip, revealing what Nancy did on one terrible night. So much is wrapped up that it’s hard to guess where the final issue will take us, but it’ll likely be even more dark and twisted than this one.
In Quick Stops Vol. 2 #3, the plot thickens deliciously. There is murder, twists, and a conclusion that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. I never would have thought Mooby’s origins were steeped in so much sex and violence, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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