BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA #2

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA #2

(originally posted on Tumblr on 6 July 2014)

Story: John Carpenter and Eric Powell
Writer: Eric Powell
Art: Brian Churilla
Colors: Michael Garland
Letters: Ed Dukeshire
Publication Date: July 2014
Published by BOOM! Studios

"When some eight-foot tall immortal Chinese warlord magician comes looking for revenge and challenges you to some damn near impossible task to save your pal’s skin…well, you look that sucker right square in the eye and say…

Sister, challenge accepted.”

-Jack Burton

So, in the first issue, Qiang Lu, the eight-foot tall immortal Chinese warlord magician mentioned by Jack above, abducts Wang Chi. He tells Jack he can get his friend back by travelling the Black Road in the Hell of the Seven-Faced Widow and releasing the souls of the three storms - Thunder, Lightning, and Rain.

Issue two picks up with Jack, Egg Shen, and Qiang Lu hashing out the details of the exchange, and then Jack and Egg (and Pete, the demon servant of Lo Pan that’s now following Jack around like a lost puppy) head out.

They travel the Black Road, encountering some bizarre inhabitants of the spirit realm (and triggering a funny flashback to one of Jack’s ex-wives) and the issue end with them arriving at the house of the Seven-Faced Widow.


The title is continuing to impress. Not sure exactly how much involvement John Carpenter has, but Eric Powell’s writing has the characters down pat. Jack’s bluster and Egg’s attempts at getting Jack to understand the situation ring true and Kurt Russell and Victor Wong’s voices echo in my head as I read their lines.

Brian Churilla’s cartoony art is working for me here, making it as easy to recognize the characters visually as Powell’s writing does thru the dialog.

The whole look and feel of the title so far perfectly meshes with the world as portrayed in the film, where the physical world and the spirit realms aren’t so far apart as you might think.

I’m a little curious how close the mythology presented in the world of BTiLC matches actual Chinese mythology, but I’m afraid to look it up because it’s so well done in the film and the comic.

My biggest concern about the series was how to keep the series focused on Jack without making him….well….competent at anything. So far they’re doing a fine job, as Jack continues to bluster his way thru things. Absolutely nothing phases the man, at least in part because he can’t see thru his own ego. The flashback to Jack’s ex is a perfect example of this, as he manages to defeat a supernatural evil that he doesn’t even realize exists.

Yeah…so far, so good. Definitely think that if you’ve any love for the film at all, you’re going to enjoy this comic.