Most comic book heroes have predictable villains, and that’s okay. Batman fights the Joker & company time and time again, and that’s fine. Marvel heroes all have their villainous counterparts, and we eat it up. Shirtless Bear-Fighter, a new comic published by Image coming June 21st, seems to be no different. It features the eponymous character, Shirtless Bear-Fighter, and well, you know, he fights bears. Almost exclusively.
It’s kind of obvious that Image Comics publishes the most refreshing and unique comics you can find today, so it’s really no surprise that Shirtless Bear-Fighter is already being raved about by media outlets. When you read the small teaser posted by Image, you can tell that you’re in for a comic that is both outlandish and self-aware. Thank heavens, because something like Shirtless Bear-Fighter is really only going to work if it can laugh about itself, which it seems to be poised to do. Here’s a snippet via Image’s news blog:
After being betrayed by the bears that raised him, the legendary SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER wanders the forest he’s sworn to protect, fist-fighting bears, eating flapjacks, and being the angriest man the world has ever known! When wild-eyed, super-strong bears attack the citizens of Major City, Shirtless ventures into the human world to do what he does best…PUNCH THOSE BEARS IN THE FACE! But all is not as it seems. Someone is manipulating Shirtless…and only by confronting the demons of his past can Shirtless hope to save his future!
I really love how that quote above refers to the main character as “Shirtless,” as if that’s the only name he goes by. This comic looks like it’s really going to please fans of action with a healthy dose of ridiculousness. When it comes to the pages, we’re definitely in good hands. Jody LeHeup and Sebastian Girner are handling the writing, and their previous work on Uncanny X-Force, Deadpool, and Southern Bastards speak for itself. Nil Vendrell is relatively new I believe, but a quick Google search shows some impressive stuff, and it’ll be colored by Mike Spencer, who’s work on Head Lopper was one of the best things about that comic. Look for Shirtless Bear-Fighter soon and stay tuned to The Nerd Stash for more comic and pop-culture news.
