The Scumbag #2 // Review
Ernie’s the least suited to helping save the world. The deadbeat slacker’s not even particularly interested in doing so. He’s going to be dragged into some pretty serious danger as his woes continue in The Scumbag #2. Writer Rick Remender keeps the action spinning for Ernie with an appealing gravity that’s brought to the page graphically by artist Lewis Larosa. The background might be edging into silly, absurdist political humor. Remender and Larosa have a firm grasp on the action/comedy heart of the story, though. It may be little more than another loser-saves-the-world storyline, but Remender and Larosa keep it fun.
Ernie Ray Clementine was just told that the fate of the world rests in his hands. It makes about as much sense to him as anything else, so he’s off to the bar to talk about it with a few other people. Those interested in the survival of the nation are going to have to do a better job of convincing him that he’s important if they’re going to be able to get him interested. A suitcase full of drugs is a step in the right direction. He might get a bit derailed, though...especially when someone mentions something about The Scorpions.
Having firmly established the kind of guy Ernie is in the first issue, Remender has a little bit of room to explore the peril that he’s been tossed into. And...it’s a very, very silly kind of peril. Ernie thinks of the Scorpions as a classic German heavy metal band that’s been around for decades. They are. But “The Scorpions” also happens to be the name of a far-right fascist extremist group that wants to take over the country. Remender cleverly adds considerable appeal to the series in the form of Sister Mary: the deadly, sexy super-spy who is Ernie’s guide.
Larosa shows a sharp sense of versatility in rendering the story for the page. From seedy Simon’s bar to the clean office of a conservative senator to a gleaming office building and beyond, Larose gives the issue a sweeping sense of action that glides smoothly across the page as the wide-eyed scumbag is yanked from one location to another. The issue doesn’t allow Larosa to explore a hell of a lot of subtlety, but Larosa makes the rush of action feel modulated enough that it’s not one big, formless smear of violence and aggression from cover and cover.
Remender and Larosa have a fun thing going with The Scumbag. It’s got a rhythm and pulse that feels fresh and unique even if it’s not aspiring to a whole lot more than a simple loser-saves- the-w0rld action story. Ernie continues to be appealing. The passion and the sharp-witted energy of Sister Mary adds a stylish contrast to Ernie’s comic grotesqueness. With the full reveal of the antagonistic Scorpions, the series is off into an appealing momentum. If Remender and Larosa can keep it from veering too far from the heart of the conflict, The Scumbag might be one of the better comics to be introduce in late 2020.
