Candy Canes And Ponies…But Lethal: Battlepug #3 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
Mild Spoilers Ahead
The Last Kinmundian just lost his Battlepug due to the machinations of Jofel and the Queen of the Northland Elves. The Kinmundian is now completely at their mercy. Meanwhile, Bryony, Moll, Mingo, Colfax, Sasha, Ladora, and Callistus are at the mercy of Nobodies’ Ponies, a gang of murderous horse-thieves (thieves that ARE horses). The threat to Ladora and Sasha enrages Bryony and unleashes her full power. Bryony is ready to kill the Ponies, and Sasha tries to talk her down.
In the back up story, Callistus has to deal with juggler with a bad tendency to juggle babies and axes at the same time.
Battlepug #3 is a more entertaining installment than the opener, with a fairly funny story mixed with some genuine conflict and decent character moments.
The My Little Pony reference is a little dated, but it still delivers some laughs. They’re weirdly intense and give a good punchline to the backup story. They also allow for the bonding moment between Sasha and Bryony.
We see how much the Battlepug truly means to the Last Kinmundian, and it’s followed up by a pretty solid action sequence pitting the Kinmundian against Jofel and the Queen of the Northland Elves.
Some of the jokes don’t land. Bryony cussing a lot doesn’t really work as when the cusses are censored. It’s weird that Jofel is still in this story considering he started as a Trump joke (that wasn’t that fresh or original from the start).
Mike Norton’s artwork is good, and he makes some creative fight scenes. The Nobodies’ Ponies also have a great visual design. Allen Pasalaqua’s color art is vibrant and appealing throughout. Kelly Williams’ art and coloring in the backup is top-notch as well.
Battlepug #3 is a solid, funny, and, at times, quite smart comic with engaging characters. The story and comedy have spotty parts, but the whole product is enjoyable and worth a recommendation. Feel free to pick it up.
Battlepug #3 comes to us from writers and artists Mike Norton and Kelly Williams, color artists Allen Pasalaqua and Kelly Williams, letterers Crank! and Chas! Pangburn, cover artist Mike Norton, and variant cover artist Jason Shawn Alexander with Luis NCT.
Final Score: 7/10
