In the near future, bizarre afflictions are on the rise. Take Clara, who is addicted to punching people in the nuts – hence the title. It’s a story that seems wacky and ridiculous, and it is, yet it also has the DNA of such comics as Transmetropolitan, as it shines a light on the trashy and the dirty of a future where society is scummy, and that’s just the way people like it.
Paul Tobin writes a rather ridiculous book here that’s more about jamming as much weirdness into every panel than anything else. And that’s a good thing. As main characters go, Clara is light-hearted and easy-going, with a zest for life that includes orgies and always overdrinking. She’s certainly not a role model, but she’s also unabashedly herself, leaning into having a good time and not worrying about anything. She lives in the moment, and that makes it easy to root for her.
Living in the moment is a big part of her junk punch addiction, which she does quite a few times in the issue. Depicted with gusto for her, and usually committed on jerks who probably deserve it, it’s a weird trait that is connected to a larger mystery. Tobin does a good job setting that bigger mystery involving chemicals well, making Clara an unsuspecting hero on a larger mission.
The chaos is apparent all around her.
Credit: Mad Cave
Clara’s main focus is a mission to end cheating in soccer. Likely tied to the bigger mystery, it gives her something to do and allows the story to shift to sports here and there.
Art by Carlos Javier Olivares is great, packing a lot of characters and easter eggs into every panel. The Transmetropolitan vibe is alive and well, thanks to the art, with gimps and all sorts of depravity apparent even when Clara is the center of attention.
Given the vapid nature of Clara, don’t expect any deep character work, but that’s not the point in a rambunctious comic like this.
Closing out the issue is a fun four-page adventure with Clara trying to punch a ghost out of her friend’s underwear. Written and drawn by Colleen Coover, there’s a standout twelve-panel page of Clara punching things that all represent pensises in some fashion, making for a funny montage to say the least.
Nut Puncher #1 embraces its ridiculous premise wholeheartedly and is better for it. Paul Tobin crafts a chaotic future full of strange addictions, social commentary, and offbeat humor, while Carlos Javier Olivares delivers artwork packed with enough visual jokes and oddities to reward multiple readings. Beneath the absurdity is a compelling mystery that gives the story direction, ensuring the comic is more than a collection of outrageous gags. If you’re in the mood for something unpredictable, energetic, and delightfully strange, this is an easy recommendation.
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