‘Brimstone and the Borderhounds – Luscious: Riker’s Island’ Comic Review

Like prior issues of Brimstone and the Borderhounds, Luscious: Riker’s Island is a ton of fun. Featuring the large, pink-boa wrapped member of Brimstone’s team, this issue follows Luscious into the dangerous halls of Riker’s Island, where he’s been sent by Brimstone to find a couple of their favourite fare: escaped beings from the depths of hell.

Following Luscious through his Riker’s Island adventure is like watching an episode of Scooby-Doo: it’s hilarious, features terrified, over-the-top characters, and seems completely implausible. Luscious is not one for subtlety, so naturally while he is given the typical prison uniform, he refuses to take off his trademark boa. It’s a prominent feature of the comic: while the whole issue is definitely about him, it’s great contrast on the page. Where everywhere else there’s muted colors of the prison–dark cells, blue guards’ shirts, everyone else clad in the trademark orange that seems to come with prisons–there’s Luscious with his bright pink boa and his laid-back, sassy attitude, stirring things up and causing all kinds of problems.

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Easily warped into the Brimstone and the Borderhounds universe, Luscious: Riker’s Island works well as a standalone outside of the comics, featuring the titular character going on his own little ‘side mission.’ I’d gladly read more about Luscious because I find him to be one of the most interesting and well-written characters in the comic, and his humor and self-discussions are always hilarious. He’s laid back in the face of danger but can spring up at a moment’s notice to get to work, and he is good at his job. Finding creatures from hell and putting them back in their place ain’t no easy task, and Luscious has got a great handle on it.

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It is a great read, really quick, and everything flows together and works cohesively to tell a story. Unlike Luscious’s thoughts (which tend to go off topic as he discusses food, what he did that particular day, and how he thinks that perhaps he should lay off the food a little bit), Luscious: Riker’s Island is straightforward and tells a great tale. It’s easy to follow and wildly entertaining because Luscious as a character is just so bizarre. It works out though–in the already bizarre universe created in Brimstone and the Borderhounds, it’s very easy to believe there is a character as eccentric as Luscious. And even better, he’s likeable. If there was any character about whose adventures at Riker’s Island I’d want to read, it would definitely be the hot-pink boa fiend, because he makes the stay as atypical as possible.

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Luscious: Riker’s Island is a great addition to the Brimstone line and has all the things I look for in an enjoyable comic: I loved the contrast colors, the hilarious characters and interactions, and the story was fun and a breeze to read. The series is enjoyable as it is, but this certainly raised the bar and has tie-ins to other issues in the series. This is easily one of my favorites to date. Plus, it is a damn fun read. Who could resist that?

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