Multicoloured Mayhem And Dark Comedy: Reviewing ‘Plush’ #2
by Olly MacNamee
Summary
‘Plush’ #2 sees our down-and-out central chump of a character rescued from the crooked cops. But, he may well wish he hadn’t been when you see who’s doing the rescuing. More dark, delightful comedy all wrapped up in multi-coloured, fuzzy, frightening fur.
Overall
10/10Things just go from bad to work for our hapless hero, Devin Fulcher, in Plush #2 by writer Doug Wagner and artist Daniel Hillyard. Locked up and surrounded by corrupt cops, – with one of those boasting about “banging” his fiancé – what happens next may very well have you doubting your sympathies as said cops are savagely slaughtered by the same garishly outfitted furries seen in the first issue chomping down on a convention attendee. I mean, these yokel cops are mean, but am I really inwardly cheering the suited serial killers in animal masks? Well, yes I am, because this is another fine wine of a dark comedy in which we are encouraged to laugh at the least offensive characters, just as we did with the creators’ previous collaborations on Plastic and Vinyl.
The violence is over-the-top, made more ridiculous by the premise of a bunch of furries killing and cannibalising for kicks. Hillyard’s art style, verging on the slightly cartoonish (in the vein of Amazon Prime’s Invincible, that is), only adds to this sensibility. Right down to the scene played out in silence that begins creepy as hell, but ends up pastiching THAT scene in Basic Instincts, resulting in further chortles from this reader.
Add to this the bright colours utilised by colour artist Rico Renzi and you have one of the brighter dark comedies you’ll come across. The garish colours of furries crashing head on into slasher/cannibal horror. The greatest, most iconic horror villains are masked, obscured, that in itself can create much terror, it’s just that these killers love the feeling of fur against their skin when they’re killing.
Plush #2 is out now from Image Comics
