Rock N Roll Comics: AC/DC Review

***THIS REVIEW WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON THE NERD BLITZ PATREON***

So when good ol @CornyJenkins sent this here comic bookery my way, I knew jack and shit about it.
And boy am I glad I did zero research before diving in, because the background of this series and publisher might actually be more interesting then anything they ever published, HOLY SHIT!

The founder and publisher, Todd Loren, apparently wasn’t very well liked by the music industry, possibly due to publishing these unauthorized biographies of some of the biggest bands of the day.
In the opening “word from the editor” style article he mentions a lawsuit and, what he deemed, blackmail from Judas Priest to keep their name out of his ink.
Later in the same piece he talks about talking to rebellious network MTV about advertising, but it was shut down by music execs threatening to pulling MTV’s access to talent and interviews.
IN-FUCKING-SANE!

After reading that and the book, I decided to research what happened to this company and publisher I’d never heard of and learned that he was also found dead, aged 32, by way of multiple stab wounds a little over a year after this book was published, the case remains unsolved.
That is so fucked up, right?
Dude sure as shit burned bright and stirred the pot in the relatively short time he was here!

But anyway, back in track, how is this controversy soaked comic?
Let’s pop open that poly bag and find out!

You know the drill, gang.
This is your official ***SPOILER ALERT***, so let’s get to rockin’!

Cover By Scott Jackson: A shuffling and repaint of the most successful album of the Bon Scott era on the front and the back is a collage of the late 80s lineup with Simon Wright, both given a shiny background!
Looks pretty damn cool to me, and it does the job that all covers should, it catches the eye.
Though I do wonder about the cardinal sin of art (tracing) possibly being broken here as some of these details in the facial features, especially on the front, seem a little too close.
Hmmm…

Art By Mike Sagara: Oh boy, we’re in trouble.
I can’t tell if the printer was fucked or if this is a problem due to the primordial ooze of digital art still clinging on, but this is…rough.
The art is muddy as fuck, more often than not it’s blurry and looks like some random shitty 70s stock art with a fresh coat of paint…that was then left outside over the winter…in Alaska…
The weird thing is that the art is so hazy, but the word balloons and lettering look crisp and clear for the most part.
So to put a fine point on it, I don’t like this art at all.

But having said that, deep down, I kind of respect it.
The art here is sending a clear message.
Ironic, I know!
The message is that this isn’t the highly polished, mass produced comic book you’d see from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, or any other comic company you’d recognize.
This is raw, it’s indie, it’s fuckin’ rock n roll!
Kinda fits the tone of AC/DC, I think.

Story Jay Allen Sanford: As hinted at above, this is the biographical tale of AC/DC through the lense of this writer.
And I have to remind myself that this came out in January 1991, there wasn’t an internet to run to and fact check.
This story is cobbled together from a lot of the rumors that had been swirling at the time, and many of them have since been debunked or at least clarified.

For instance, Phil Rudd’s mid-80s departure.
In here, it’s allegedly that he left due to feeling he was better than the band and that they were stale and wallowing in stagnation, that’s pure conjecture.
What we know is that he was having some personal issues with booze & drugs (a problem that would force him out of the band again following the recording of Rock Or Bust) and wanted time off.
There are some rumors and allegations that he and Malcolm had a “physical altercation” but, at least as far as my limited research has shown, nothing has ever been confirmed.
And I gotta say, knowing Malcolm & Angus, if Rudd had left in such a shitty way, pissing on the work they’d done together, his ass likely wouldn’t have been invited back in the mid-90s.

But that aside, I truly love the look at this snap shot of the band, frozen in time.
Ending with the introduction of Chris Slade to the band, this issue captures them on the cusp of making the climb to what I consider to be their greatest heights in the ass kickin’ form of Razor’s Edge, Ballbreaker, Stiff Upper Lip, & Black Ice.

Now, to wrap up, is this the greatest comic I’ve ever read?
Far fuckin’ from it.
But is it the worst?
Well, since Scooby Apocalypse still exists, far from it!
Come on, I had ta!
Seriously though, no, it’s nowhere near terrible.
Like I said, this issue shares a surprising kindred bond with the band it’s profiling.
There’s nothing uppity about it, this is for the man on the street to dig into and enjoy.
With this issue at least, Todd Loren and company took a shot in the dark and, whether it was their aim or not, it payed off.

Let us know what you think of this review in the comments below or share this post on Twitter with the Hashtag #TNBBookReview.

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And finally, given the state of the world, do what you can to leave it a little bit better than you found it.
As difficult as that may be currently, it can have an impact far greater than you know.
Until next time, stay safe out there, gang.