Even true love is no protection from iffy satire. Because as much as issue #1 affirmed my life-long devotion, The Toxic Avenger #2 was sort of a letdown. What could’ve remained this extra relevant dissection of our awful, feckless times leaned too far into hokey Gen Z jokes. Sure, the continued development of Melvin proved interesting, and Fred Harper’s art was continually gross and wondrous, but issue #2 was more “dump” and not nearly “toxic” enough.
But hope springs eternal, and issue #3 could be a chance for The Toxic Avenger to get back to brighter, sharper satire and rich, unwaveringly human storytelling about living good among disastrous times. And, fortunately for us and Tromaville, this latest chapter is pumping out 500 Rads.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
Because it seems like after basically telling two stories (Melvin’s personal arc and the accident itself), writer Matt Bors has aligned them in the best, most effective way possible. What we get, then, is Melvin’s teenage insecurity (heightened by his transformation) and general existential uncertainty married with the satirical aspects of Toxic Avenger.
For instance, pre-monster-ification, Melvin was the butt of a prank, which became the source of a meme that really speaks volumes about how we view interpersonal relationships and chronically online culture. Or, how following this issue’s big revelation (more on that in just a bit), Melvin tries to rally the citizens of Tromaville to stand up against Biohazard Solutions. Only for that to quickly devolve into a deluge of regressive opinions from the mob.
All of these instances ground and contextualize the socio-political interests of this story. They’re not just TikTok references and digs on young people; there’s a heart and humanity encouraging and shaping these themes/dissections. We’re getting to connect with the Toxic Avenger as he tries to get people to care about power imbalances and corporate greed, only for him to see that 1) maybe we all deserve this and/or 2) community action takes more than just stirring speeches.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
Either way, it’s an effort to connect this takedown of modern political and cultural discourse in a way that gives it some kind off odds and texture, connecting it back to our own lives and experiences through the filter of increasingly real people. And in doing so, The Toxic Avenger isn’t just seizing on the turmoil of our times, but doing so in a way that feels brave and thoughtful, which the OG flick certainly is (even as it’s also weird and lame and regressive). It’s about giving us a reason to care about these peoples’ experiences, and to see ourselves for better and worse in all of it. This approach makes these ideas and issues more real than ever, and it’s such a huge step forward for this book.
At the same time, the creative team make an aforementioned decision here that has huge ramifications for The Toxic Avenger. I dare not spoil it here, but it certainly recontextualizes the scope of this story in a major way. Luckily, it doesn’t take away from the real-world aspects of this narrative, or do anything to dilute its power and impact. Rather, it feels like a silly, slightly novel choice by the team to push this story into even more unseen territory, and to connect their efforts back to the commentary and vitriol of the film even as it’s increasingly its own thing.
It’s a huge enough decision that could’ve easily backfired, but instead it seems to have given the team the energy and purpose to make all this satire feel more relevant and cutting than ever before. Maybe it’s a way for them to stand out on their own, or to approach this story with a fresh perspective. Either way, it’s working in a way that makes The Toxic Avenger feel more weird and unpredictable even as it’s perfectly coalescing in front of our eyes.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
And, if absolutely nothing else, it’s just more stuff for the art team (rounded out by colorist Lee Loughridge and letterer Rob Steen) to play around with. It certainly adds a kind of “Saturday night monster movie marathon vibe” to the abject mutants and body horror that already defines The Toxic Avenger — offering something more charmingly cheesy that really compliments the melting teenagers. And, in turn, I think it freed the art team to find ways to extend/bolster the efforts of the narrative and better marry all of its ideas and interest together.
There were just so many highlights that demonstrated how more strategic the visuals were becoming in their efforts. The aforementioned introductory meme-prank, for instance, is both extra gross and unsettling, and part of that is how utterly vulnerable Melvin is and how instantly we connect with him. Similarly, there’s a fight scene with the corporation’s taskforce, and while it’s big and hokey and exaggerated in its guts and bulging muscles, there’s a core of human expression and feelings that expertly undercuts all that silliness.
And there’s even some more metaphysical aspects (thanks to the intro of a character pulled straight from the cartoon) that furthers that sense of disarming intimacy while adding something extra sharp and intense that furthers the sense of seriousness and thematic exploration.
Maybe it’s just me, but I only really expected more sludge and gore from this book, something which it delivers with gusto. But, to pull another instance from issue #3, to see a toxified monster and to feel something sharper and deeper is a testament to this team’s efforts. That they’re making all sorts of decisions (including the aforementioned “big reveal” of this issue) to honor the insanity and terror of this larger story, but to use that to bring us in a way the source material never could.
Courtesy of AHOY Comics.
That though our stomachs may churn, and our eyes feel uncomfortable, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to look away because it’s all become so very real in such a powerful way. Sure, the world may be hard to look at, but that’s only because we see more of ourselves (again, for better and worse), and we’re forced to reconcile it all. Plus, while the visuals may be where a lot of this book’s humor really shines, it’s also where we relate on this elemental level.
And it’s that speed and framework, my dear Tromavillians, where The Toxic Avenger really excels. By shaping the world and boxing it off in a certain way, it’s connected us to Melvin/Toxie in such a way that we’re right there with him, in both good and bad. We’re members of this whole awful town now, and we see the decency and hope bubbling under all the terror and corruption.
Can our mutated friend win out, and push back the tides of evil in the name of hope? Or, is Tromaville just the start of the true downfall of goodness? Whatever happens, we’ve got (blistery) skin in the game, and this story’s ready to do some big things. To quote all those dumb kids, we are, indeed, so back.
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