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NOTE: JTHM has graphic cartoon violence, and is not meant to be any sort of guide book for killing mass amounts of people. If violence, albeit comic book violence, makes you squeemish, I would strongly suggest you don't go out and buy the book. No use throwing up all over the pages.
If a comic book catches my eye, I'll buy it. Whether it's for the art or the story, really. With JTHM, I heard about it, checked it out on the internet, then went out and bought me a copy.
Jhonen Vasquez has a very unique art style, which I like, and he also has a great sense of humor.
Anyhoo, Johnny is a boy who's fed up with the assholes of the world. Now, who has never fantasized about killing someone who's hurt you? Well, Johnny, being a homicidal maniac, does something about it.
The book is basically fulfiling an outcast's dream of revenge... though, I would take this time to remind you that it is a COMIC BOOK and that killing is not very nice. No matter how big of an asshole someone may be.
In the first issue, we are introduced to Johnny, who kills people, enjoys killing people, and is very good at killing... people.
Ok, that sets up the story, right? Good. Moving on.
Johnny, despite being a maniac, has his layers of pain and Vasquez does a great job of telling a story about a character that is more than just a 2-dimensional wacko. Johnny wrestles with uncertainty and constantly contemplates the reason of it all. Fortunatly (or is it), he has some friends who help him in his struggle.
First, we have Nailbunny. He is Johnny's voice of reason... interestingly in the form of a pet bunny Johnny got at a pet shop, fed once, and then nailed to the wall (don't worry, no actual bunnies were harmed in the making of this web page).
Then there're the doughboys: Psycho-Doughboy, who wants Johnny to kill himself, and Mr. Fuck (a.k.a. Mr. Eff) who has his own agenda for wanting Johnny to live.
Squee, a.k.a. Todd Casil, is a little boy who lives nextdoor to Johnny. He's just a doe-eyed little child who seems to be a magnet for emotional/psychological trauma. (There's another series by Vasquez about Squee, but I'm too lazy to go into that right now.)
And lastly, we have Happy Noodle Boy, a cartoon creation of Johnny's that speaks vulgar gibberish and has a penchant for getting shot in the face.
You may be asking yourself right about now, "Well, ok, sounds weird... but how is all that supposed to make up an interesting story?"
Believe me, it does.
For those of you who know me, you know I am a harsh critic... especially if I don't like something I've spent my hard-earned cash on. But, I have nothing but praise for "JTHM."
The art is unique, something you don't get very often in the run-of-the-mill comic book world nowadays. Vasquez's creations are caricatures, but that only adds to his visual flair for dramatic angles and perspectives. The book is also black-and-white (as you can see from the screenshots), which is fitting so that the blood doesn't distract you with blazing reds on every page.
The dialogue is also very smart, typically staying away from the cliched one-liners. He infuses the book with humor that is, at times, very dark, and could best be described as "sadistic glee."
I adore this book, and you should too.
For more info. on "JTHM," Jhonen Vasquez, and his other stuff, go to the publisher's site, SLAVE LABOR. You can even order stuff online, but they are quite backed up, so it'd be best to go to a comics/collectibles store.
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