John Franklin and Tim Sulka’s new comic series Prime Cuts is an interesting modern take on the Sweeney Todd story (well, maybe “modern” isn’t right–maybe “two hours into the future” is a more apt description?).
Volume 1: After his release from Laddsville Cosmetology Prison for Troubled Boys, Todd Sweeney makes his way back to his hometown of Pure Springs to take revenge on the man who destroyed his family. After going on the road and meeting a couple unsavory characters who try to take advantage of him, he quickly finds out that Pure Springs has turned into quite a craphole. Gangs, drugs, and violence are the community leaders now.
Electra Love, the local pizza goddess, takes pity on him and gives him a slice (veggie, since there’s a mad-cow-created meat shortage now) and encourages him to ask for a job next door at Georgio’s hair salon. Is the owner of that salon the man he wants to kill? It sure looks like he’s ready to do that, until the DEA takes Georgio away for drug trafficking, leaving Sweeney to take over the shop. Luckily, he has his special golden shears to help him do some cutting. He also has his infatuation with blonde innocent Moira, and fetishizes her hair.
I had real mixed feelings about Volume 1. The concept of a modern-retelling of the Sweeney Todd story is definitely ripe for plucking, and the creators are certainly headed in the right direction with the snarky sense of gross humor throughout (which borders on the sophomoric, with character names like Latrina, Propeesha, and Gonzo). There are a couple problems with this first issue that must be addressed. The dialogue itself (and that includes the annoying narration boxes that pop up randomly) is really rough. It doesn’t flow smoothly from panel to panel, and a lot of it seems to have been written for shock value rather than to actually set a tone or move the plot forward naturally.
The second problem with Volume 1 is the artwork by Rob Gutman. It is sketchy, unfinished, and completely out of perspective. It looks like a first draft , and not anything ready for publication. Honestly, if this was all I had been given to review, I would not be able to recommend it.
And then I read Volume 2.
A lot of the major problems I had with Volume 1 seemed to have magically disappeared (except for the annoyingly sarcastic and unnecessary narration boxes, they’re still hanging around). The artwork by Stan Maksun is crisper, stronger, and yet sillier than Gutman’s work. There’s a real R. Crumb/Zap Comix vibe to the illustrations this time around, and I really got into it. The dialogue seems more focused, letting the plot unfold without so much “telling” going on.
Volume 2: Sweeney is not a vicious murderer, and is in fact a little remorseful over the death he caused in Volume 1. Electra takes care of the e vidence (and helps her pizza business)by putting the corpse through the grinder and making the victim into pizza toppings (and, in a world of dwindling meat supplies, this makes the patrons are very happy). As an added bonus, the extra protein makes whoever eats it drift into delirious ecstasy and become addicted, clamoring for more.
More money for the pizza business means a happy Electra, as long as Sweeney keeps bringing in the meat. Will their budding friendship survive this dark turn? Will Sweeney ever get close enough to Moira to touch her beautiful yellow hair? Or even take a tiny little blonde clipping for his scrapbook? We shall find out as soon as the next volume is released! I’m definitely going to check it out!
For more information, check out their website, or buy the comic here!
