Suddenly ... EL GORGO!!

I can't remember where I first saw it (I know Kevin also linked to it recently), but the first online issue of El Gorgo has been sitting on my desktop for about a week now, waiting to be read. And now that I have read it, my only question is — why did I wait so long?!

If you have any love for comics in your heart, you'll love El Gorgo. The comic crams a ton of awesome into a story in which Lovecraft's Dagon, Kirby-crackle and a super-intelligent gorilla luchador are only the beginning. And while it owes a definite debt to the Silver Age, the title avoids becoming a shallow imitation without sacrificing any of the fun; every time El Gorgo opens his mouth it's like listening to a happy-go-lucky Namor, and I can't wait to see more of a supporting cast that apparently includes a dog in a wrestler's mask.

A DOG IN A WRESTLER'S MASK.


The writing by Mike McGee is spot-on, and leads the reader breezily to a neat, classically convoluted and clever plot twist that makes me eager to see the next issue. The art by Tamas Jakab almost tips toward sloppy in places, but it still suits the story and the tone the creators are obviously going for, so it's a minor complaint. Honestly, I don't even know it I'd call it a complaint, because I actually like the sketchy, kinetic artwork. It feels as if the art is racing to keep up with the story, and together they work.

El Gorgo #1 had me grinning nearly from the first page straight through to the last, and it's free for God's sake. Go read it and see what you think.

UPDATE: Print copies of El Gorgo #1 are now available through the creators' Web site, and at $3.95 it's a bargain. Show your support and buy a copy of your very own!