Comics Features

REVIEW: Bang Bang Lucita #1

Guns are ablaze, knives fly through the air, and boobs can barely stay still in this first issue of wild west adventure Bang Bang Lucita, which is as spicy as its front cover declares it to be. This brief yet sizzling first chapter centres on the down-on-her-luck chef Lucita, whose abuse at the hands of her employer is cranked up to eleven when President Grant comes to town for a visit.

Unknown to all however, a ruthless gang of bandits have followed Grant to town, where they invade the sleepy environment and attempt to take his wife. Its then that Lucita shows her true colours, and a huge amount of breasts. Disregarding her raggedy work clothes, she dons an Indiana Jones-esque get-up and proceeds to both attack the bandits and entertain the reader in the blitzkrieg action style that only a comic can deliver.

Written by Chuck Amadori, the script is as sharp as the knives Lucita flings throughout the issue, keeping the reader hooked and amused from cover to cover, though some questions in the plot do spring to mind. If Lucita hates working for Mister Baylor, why does she work for him at all? What is her backstory? Where has she come from? And why does she masquerade as a knife-wielding vigilante? Perhaps these questions can be unravelled in later issues as the story develops.

Edson Alves and Nimesh Morarji provide a light, airy style of artwork, as bright as the comic’s story itself and a fine attention to shadow that lends some tangibility to the near campy setup. Lucita herself has more curves than Spaghetti Junction, but perhaps the colouring could benefit from a thicker touch – the impact of the battle between Lucita and the bandits loses some of its punch with such light colours, but one could argue such lightness keeps the comic alive with excitement.

The story itself hints at larger affairs of the heart to come as well, as Grant proves to be the only person who shows Lucita with any form of respect, prompting the chef to swoon for him, and may well add to her decision to rescue his wife. Whatever the outcome of such a rescue, you feel as if you’re guaranteed to be treated for a non-stop ride of adventure and thrills galore.

Overall, Bang Bang Lucita #1 is an entertaining read, and suitably wets your appetite, making you want to turn more pages when there aren’t any more to turn. The slight absurdity in the plot’s setup ultimately encourages you to find out what happens next in the story in order to understand why Lucita carries a vigilante persona around with her, and why exactly the bandits wanted Grant’s wife in the first place.

Have you read the first issue of Bang Bang Lucita? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments section below, or send us your thoughts on Twitter!

About the author

Fred McNamara