Axe Cop
Retro Review by Dave Borders
Writer: Malachai Nicolle
Artist: Ethan Nicolle
Axe Cop is perhaps the most disturbing comic I have ever read. At least it would be if I didn’t know that the author of this psychotic romp through a bold new world is the five year old kid brother of the series’ artist. Yes, he’s five. I’m 41 and looking for work in the industry and he’s five and has a viral web comic. I am going to try to give an unbiased review of this series, but there is a chance that I will not be able to do so due to my intense feelings of jealousy.
The beauty of Axe Cop comes from how clearly it allows you to look into the mind of a youth. You can see yourself, before you were stained and spotted by the world. It is a beautiful thing to see a mind that knows that there are good guys who are good and bad guys that are bad.
It is surprising how there is a sense of continuity through the series. I am not sure that I was able to put two thoughts together when I was five, and here little Malachai is stringing together over a year’s worth of comics.
For those of you not familiar with Axe Cop it is the story of a cop who finds the perfect fireman’s axe and becomes Axe Cop. Together with his friend Flute Cop they being to fight crime. Or bad guys. Or giant robots or planets made of poop.
There is also a section known as Ask Axe Cop. It is a hoot. It might be my favorite part about the comic. Topped only by Baby Man chasing a duck through several installments.
The only knock that I have is the repetitive nature of some of the stories. Young Mr. Malachai has a bit of a fascination with poison, especially secret poison. Of course, this adds to the charm and reinforces the idea that it really is a five year old taking us along for this ride. It also increases the pleasure of the surprise when he springs something on you that comes from out of left field.
The art fits the joyride that the comic is, and moves the story along well.
My final opinion of the series? Well, it certainly is not the best comic out there created by a team of family members with a bit of an age gap, that honor would go to my own comic, Intelli-CORPs, but Axe Cop is a close second. All kidding aside, it’s great. It also demonstrates the power of the internet. Two days after it was initially posted back in January, 2010 it went viral. Viral.
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Dave Borders is staff reporter for Comicbookinterviews.com and specializes in thought provoking, in-depth reviews of comics of the past.
Dave is also a self-publisher and along with his son has self-published Inteli-corps the story of ten genetically modified animals that have been created to search the universe for a precious element found only in a rare plant.
Dave can be reached at dborders@comicbookinterviews.com
