Review – More Satire And Send Ups In ‘Billionaire Island: Cult Of Dogs’ #2
by Olly MacNamee
Summary
‘Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs’ #2 is another glorious swipe at the wealthy few that many of us hold in contempt for the very reasons satirised in this new issue. While Business Dog walks around oblivious to the downfall of modern capitalism, not so much the rest of the world.
Overall
10/10In Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #2 we get another thinly veiled swipe at the failing system that is neo-liberal capitalism. This time presented for what it is; a big-ass gamble, but with our money, never their own. Only, in this daffy dystopia, the game is well and truly up, and the rich have paid the ultimate price. And now, in this new world order, the filth and the fury have risen to try and rinse any opportunity they can. In this case, hunting down and abducting our hero, Business Dog, the world’s richest mammal.
Along the way we get to meet “a bunch of actors” who went missing when the world went to Hell in a hand basket in the previous series. Many of whom will look all too familiar to many readers. Characters who’s real-life counterparts have themselves met with some disdain by the general public for one good reason or another. It all leads to deadly action, but with hilarious consequences, within the context of this story, of course. It’s all pretty dark humoured, and that’s exactly how I like my satire.
Steve Pugh’s eye for the realism has always been a great strength of this series, and needed if you are going to throw in enough familiar faces along the way too. But, it’s a style that allows for the brash, and over-the-top futuristic designs to work so well. Satire works best, at leat it does for me, when it has a sense of the real to it.
Mark Russell’s ability to sustain the dark humour and satirical side glances towards our broken society never ceases to amaze me. He has certainly found a fun way to present the hypernormalised world that has arguably been built by the powers-that-be, and expose its fake facade and foundations. The Emperor wear no clothes, unlike Business Dog. A comic of wish-fulfilment for an ageing Socialist like me, but a truly great escape from reality too. Killer art, killer lines and… well, killers for hire too!
Billionaire Island: Cult of Dogs #2 is out now from AHOY Comics
And for more, read my interview with Mark Russell and Steve Pugh here now.