JUST $2 HERE

"Get a good look into the comic book scene in Australia."
                                   BLEEDING COOL

"ABSOLUTELY INSANE!"
                                   SUPERHEROES ANON.

After publishing That Bulletproof Kid, artist and writer Matt Kyme called on other Aussie creators to collaborate on short stories about his character. 

He was overwhelmed by the response. He’s assembled all of the stories into That All Star Bulletproof Kid, a book that sold out in 4 days and has done a second printing.

Creators on the project include: Jason  Franks (McBlack), Fred Atkins (Spitfires), Andrez Bergen (Tales  to Admonish/Bullet  Gal), Cameron Laird (The Crayfish), Matt Nicholls (Collateral), Franco Polizzi (Lego Legion), Arthur Strickland (That Bulletproof Kid), Thomas Tung (The Chin), Matt Emery (Pikitia Press), Joe Roberts (Eclipse), Daniel Watts (Brawler), Sebastian Ciaffaglione (Gaining Velocity), Ray Whitcher (Gaining Velocity), Harrison Chua, Mike Bradshaw (No Man’s Band), Asela DeSilva, Brad Castles, Sue D’Nym, Erik McAlister, Harrison Chua, Matt McGrillen, Chris McQuinlan (The Legend of Rock), Adam Rose (The Crayfish) and Simon A Wright (Divine Comedy).

So if you want to get a good look into the comic book scene in Australia, you can go here for more information.
Picture




That All-Star Bulletproof Kid is an anthology comic that does something rather unique. 

There has, so far, only been one issue released of Australian writer Matt Kyme’s That Bulletproof Kid comic. Storylines are just beginning, characters aren’t yet firmly established, but what Kyme did was to approach a bunch of different writers and artists and ask them to take those characters and do something with them. Anything they wanted. What follows is a series of stories that are all at least nominally about the same things/people . . . but which go in all different directions, feature wildly different artistic styles, and, ultimately, have virtually nothing in common.

In some stories, the teenaged Anth, also known as superhero/sidekick the Bulletproof Kid, is a powerful force to be reckoned with, the only one who can save the day. In others, he’s a bit bumbling and awkward, seemingly in way over his head. In one, he’s just an ordinary teenager with no powers, wondering what being a superhero would be like. And, in a couple, Anth doesn’t even appear at all.

Some of the stories are a little difficult to follow/understand. Some of them begin and end rather abruptly, before you really have a chance to register them. Still, creating these different stories with all different flows was the major point of this anthology, and every story has something to recommend it.

Even so, there are a few stories that really manage to stand out. We start off strong with “Bottoms Up,” written by Andrez Bergen, who collaborates with Kyme on a different anthology comic, Tales to Admonish. It’s a short and rather funny story wherein Bulletproof Kid faces a villain called The Tick—NOT the giant, blue guy played by Patrick Warburton. Not long after, we have “Extreme!!” written by Sue D’Nym (I’m guessing that’s not her real name.) and illustrated by Joe Roberts, who give us a bit of a '90s feel when a team of supervillains shows upthat hasn’t been active in about 20 years—and it shows. In this one, both Bulletproof Kid and his mentor Crusader are drawn as giant, musclebound action heroes.

Two of the other most enjoyable stories in the anthology take Bulletproof Kid to opposite extremes. In “War Crimes,” written and illustrated by Arthur Strickland (who does the art on the actual That Bulletproof Kid comic), we see Bulletproof Kid as a calm, quick-witted, and unflappable hero, whose latest enemy keeps enacting increasingly elaborate plans to destroy him with . . . umm . . . bullets. 

He’s not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Meanwhile, “The Speed of Thought,” written and illustrated by Thomas Tung, shows Bulletproof Kid as an insecure teenager, riddled with anxieties, not over the latest villain to attack the city, but over how he’s going to get out of class to go face him.

There are a number of other interesting stories in this anthology, as well. “Office of Strategic Services Unit” isn’t a story or a comic at all, but rather takes the form of a top secret government document. “A Magic Bullet” mostly features the lyrics of a song, and “That Robotproof Kid” is an entirely wordless comic featuring absolutely adorable artwork by Matt Emery of Bulletproof Kid fighting an army of robots. Yes, adorable. You have to see it.

Whether or not you’re familiar with the first issue of That Bulletproof Kid, this anthology comic is worth reading. The vastly different story and art styles mean that there’s something for everybody. There’s comedy, drama, action, even a bit of philosophy. If you’re a fan of superheroes, you’re sure to find something to like about That All-Star Bulletproof Kid.

--Steven W. Alloway
"Brilliant stuff."
                           COMICS ONLINE
Picture
Art by Dan Watts; words by Jason Franks
Picture
Art by Asela de Silva
Picture
Art by Harrison Chua

THAT ALL STAR 
BULLETPROOF KID 
ANTHOLOGY

An anthology is always a harder sell due to its make-up. By definition it is simply a collection of non-flowing parts – and in this case, different artists and writers. There are inevitably strong stories and some weaker. That being said, That All Star Bulletproof Kid hits more strong notes than it misses.

Our hero, Anthony Fisher/the eponymous Bulletproof Kid is shown to be a typical school kid, having to explain being slightly out of touch (being a secret superhero and all), dodging bullies and hoping for school to be over. So far, pretty well trodden territory.

Whilst the superhero is clearly at the comic's heart, the dialogue between the characters is the stand out. There are some absolutely wonderful laughs to be had from its self-aware, glance-to-camera-and-wink conversations – particularly Bottoms Up and Not That Bulletproof Kid, to name check just two.

 There’s some real depth explored in other stories – in particular, A Magic Bullet. It is ultimately the human moments in which That All Star Bulletproof Kid shines.


It’s clear that all involved have a passion for their stories. Some however do connect with the audience more than others – again, the inherent nature of an anthology. Obviously in the world created, there is a degree of leeway for reality, however there are occasions where that slightly spills into the absurd (possibly deliberately so). However it was those moments that served to show the quality of the dialogue and genuine relationships between the characters. 

Arguably the major strength of the book is what hasn’t been told, its writers (and creator Matt Kyme) are not about to tell you each and every detail of their story, instead trusting their audience to figure this out for themselves. There is true potential and some joy to be had from the pages of That All Star Bulletproof Kid. It’s knowing, without being impenetrable. The artwork throughout the book is gorgeous, even with all the differing styles they seem to work very well. It’s very clear that the comic is extremely aware of its genre and loves this fact.

Kyme and co. have lovingly crafted a wonderfully entertaining book. Sign me up for issue #2!

--Andy Williams
Seems like Matt Kyme has been a busy chap! Following on from his indie comic That Bulletproof Kid comes this all-star anthology. 

Set in the same universe, and using many of the same characters, a collaborating cornucopia of comic-book authors and artists give their own unique twist to things. To give this its proper due (the book is MASSIVE) I'll be bringing the review to you in two halves, the first being my initial impressions after reading the first few stories. Is it any good?

Well, with a cast of characters almost as long as the list of collaborators, there was certainly plenty of scope! Most of these characters (all but three, in fact) are Matt Kyme creations, and for the most part, they're standard comic-book fare. You have heroes like the eponymous Bulletproof Kid, Mr. Tremendous, and Crusader, and villains with pseudonyms such as Terrordactyl, Dr. Formidable, and Divine Intervention. All in, there are six heroes and eighteen(!) villains - with that in mind, I think bringing on board other writers to help flesh them out was an astute move!

First up, the cover art. It's gorgeous. I've spoken before about my less-than-admirable tendency to judge books by their covers, and in this case it's two thumbs up from me! The colours are soft and pastel, the Bulletproof Kid looks badass, the villains look suitably bad. I took one look at this cover and knew I wanted to read this comic!

After a brief intro and a Dramatis Personae, we're first introduced to one of the non-Kyme created characters, a villain called The Tick in Bottoms Up, sent by Dr. Formidable to sweet-talk a potential new recruit. The story is a little bit basic - The Tick, standing in the foam of a pint of beer, and his mark, Billy, sitting drinking said beer, mulling over his offer. It's hardly action-packed, and to be honest, some of the dialogue feels a little bit forced. The artwork, too, could be better - lots of big, open white spaces and heavy black shading. Not to mention the static nature of the characters - it's hard to make sitting in a chair with a pint exciting (unless you're the one sitting in the chair...)

On the plus side, the Tick looks great - the proportions are good (weird proportions being, in my experience, disappointingly common in indie works), and his costume is pretty cool. Overall, though, it's not exactly a thrilling opener...

The second strip, A Magic Bullet, wasn't (to my mind) much of an improvement. Dealing with an apparently depressed Mr. Tremendous, and the sacrifices he makes for a public who seem to simultaneously take him for granted or question his motives, it's set to the lyrics of a song playing on Tremendous' iPod. Unfortunately the art here lets the strip down. The quality varies from panel to panel, and never rises far above average. The concept itself is interesting, but to be honest, I'd have preferred a straight story, rather than something set to song lyrics.

Two less-than-stellar strips in a row had me feeling a little disappointed. Then Extreme, by Sue D'Nym, raised my spirits. It's got a real '90s feel to it, which is fitting, since that's when the villains of the piece, a gang called Re-Gex, apparently formed. It's a pretty straightforward superhero story, following Crusader and Bulletproof Kid as they thwart a heist on an armoured van full of cash. They're a bit cheesy, but I love the characters in this one. The baddies all have names beginning with an X - Xtinct, a lizard-like mutant, Xcruci8, Xwife...

The artwork is pretty good too. It's very busy, with a lot of lines and shading, and (once again '90s-esque) bulging muscles. As with the last strip, however, it varies quite a bit in quality from panel to panel, which is a shame. There are also a few instances of the dodgy proportions I mentioned before. Still, on the whole, this was a fun read.

When writing the review, I realised that to review each and every one of these stories would require this to be a five part article, running to about three thousand words, so I'll finish up with my pick of the bunch...

The Third Alternative, featuring the villain Monochrome, is by a country mile my favourite strip in this anthology. The story is well-paced, fun, and raised a few chuckles from me and the artwork, by Daniel Watts, is tremendous. It has a very professional feel and to be honest wouldn't look out of place in a book by one of the big publishers. It helps that Monochrome is the kind of villain that really appeals to me as a reader - a little bit mad, entirely devoid of shits-to-give, and 100% grade A ass-kicking. Matt, Jason, Dan - if you're reading this, a book or series about Monochrome is something I would throw money at!

We're Not All That Bulletproof is both well-written, and beautifully illustrated. It's quite poignant right from the title, and deals with a broken police officer who accidentally shot an innocent young man. I don't want to say too much about it, as it's only short, but it's another strip that's well worth the read.

Siphon, by Erik McAlister and Chris McQuinlan, is a short, amusing, and cartoonishly-drawn piece that's a nice foil to the previous, pretty sombre strip. The plot's only basic, but the art is fun and well-drawn, and the dialogue short and snappy. Another good strip, and by this point the book is really getting into the swing of things.

Sirens by Franco Polizzi and Asela de Silva follows two thieves on a seemingly unusual mission to pinch two classic cars for Odasus, an apparent multi-dimensional god with a penchant for collecting rare things. De Silva, like Watts, has great style and the art is excellent. As a villain, Odasus is suitably ominous, and Polizzi's story is very well paced and structured. Again, guys - I could stand to read more of this!

The final two stories are doubly notable, for being both great works, and because both the story and the art in them was done by one guy. In War Crimes, Bulletproof Kid is captured by Wesley Chernomyrdin's men, strapped to a chair, and shot with every weapon they have in an attempt to find something that works against him. As more and more guns prove useless, Chernomyrdin begins to slip into obsession and madness, ordering his men to create new, bigger, better, more devastating weapons, no matter the cost or the danger. I like everything about this one - the art, the plot, the character. Chernomyrdin is Bond villainesque, and makes a great comic book bad-guy.

The last comic, The Speed of Thought, is a nice, light-hearted one to finish on. It all takes place in Bulletproof Kid's mind, as news reaches him of an attack by Terrordactyl. It's a rush of conflicting thoughts and emotions, excuses and plans. Which excuse should he use to get out of class this time? Will the girl he likes think he's some kind of incontinent freak? What's the quickest route from school to the action? Will the class bully mock him?

It's an interesting, and quite amusing look at the virtually-instantaneous thought processes of a teenage schoolboy superhero. The mix of teenage worries about image, and the desire to protect his city was a brilliant way to end things.

I always seem to come away from anthologies saying it's a mixed bag, but it's always the truth. In this case, however, it's not so mixed. For the most part, the stories in The All Star Bulletproof Kid are excellent. Even the ones I didn't like so much were hardly stinkers, and some of them - The Third Alternative, Sirens, War Crimes - were fantastic, and I wanted more!

With the characters in this anthology, there's plenty of potential for Matt Kyme's Bulletproof Kid universe. And all this for a two dollars? You better believe it's worth it! What are you waiting for? Go buy it!

8/10--Liam Salt