PopCultHQ Comic Book Review: 'COUGAR AND CUB' #1 from Action Lab: Danger Zone

PopCultHQ received a review copy of COUGAR AND CUB #1 from Action Lab: Danger Zone.

Available on Wednesday, January 18th,
the creative team for this series features writing from Nick Marino and Rosie Knight,
with interior and cover art from Daniel Arruda Massa.

Here’s PopCultHQ’s spoiler-free review of the premiere issue of…

COUGAR & CUB #1

Writers: Nick Marino, Rosie Knight
Artist: Daniel Arruda Massa
Cover Artist: Daniel Arruda Massa

The courageous Cougar and the cunning Cub are Megaville’s ferocious feline fighters, tussling with an outrageous rogues gallery and prowling the city for crime all the time. But when a slow night on the job turns into a saucy encounter in the sack, the age old question will finally be answered…

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SUPERHERO HAS SEX WITH THEIR SIDEKICK?

Plumb the depths of passion with the Love Is Gross variant,
or take a trip to the golden age with the Flashback Backup variant cover!

Don’t miss this sin-tillating new series from the creators of HOLY F*CK,
with bombastic backups written by newcomer Rosie Knight!

PopCultHQ’s Comic Book Review:
COUGAR AND CUB #1

There’s a new superhero team taking the town by storm. A crime-fighting duo who fight hard on the streets and even harder in the sheets. This is not what you expect from a superhero title. That is its brilliance.

So what would happen if a pair of crime-fighters were to “hook up”? The premise is not an unreasonable one. There has to be a close bond between two individuals choosing to fight alongside one another.

So one night, the city is devoid of crime and Minerva Manx (Cougar) and her teenage sidekick Billy Bobtail (Cub) decide to let their defenses (and pants) down. In true Danger Zone fashion, the comic is raw, unadulterated, and a bust-out laughing debut. Nothing is taboo and you wouldn’t want it any other way. Oh, and to contribute to the comical capers of the couple is a fantastic usage of caption boxes working as a narrator. Totally completes the charm of COUGAR AND CUB.

The Flashback Backups in COUGAR AND CUB are a slick addition to the series, “revealing secrets of the past through Cougar’s exciting adventures from the golden age through the present.” The look is reminiscent of the newsprint comics from the Bronze Age of comics and before. It’s also a fantastic means to showcase a second writer’s talent and contribution to the book.

Writing:

Nick Marino is once again partnered with artist Daniel Arruda Massa (HOLY F*CK) and the chemistry continues to correspond quite craftily in COUGAR AND CUB. Marino’s writing in the main story is pure genius. It’s the perfect infusion of adult humor and sexual innuendos into a fun superhero world. Nick nails the comedic timing and delivery throughout this entire issue. Achievement Unlocked = Excellence.

You also get a sense, especially when reading through a second time, that though Marino is credited for the writing of the “Going Down” story, and Rosie Knight is listed as the writer for “Craps! What’s Become of the Crafty Cub?”, that the two of them have this great chemistry or synergy that carries over into each other’s story.

Besides the fact I love the concept of this backstory closing out each issue, this is writer Rosie Knight’s time to shine and she does so magnificently. What Knight brings to the backup is significant; an intriguing origin story of the title’s titular heroes and the ability to capture the essence of tales found in comics 50+ years ago. Her delivery is on point and and puts her comedic chops on display nicely. Very much looking forward to the further Flashback adventures that Knight has planned.

Art:

The art which Daniel Arruda Massa delivers in COUGAR AND CUB is overflowing with sheer fun. It’s more of a cartoonish-feel but that exactly what COUGAR AND CUB needs. With this look, Arruda Massa has a wide canvas of which to be expressive. Its those comical nuances and exaggerations that add to the title’s flair. It’s colorful and vibrant and as bold as the narrative. He also shows his range in shifting to the Flashback Backups as he creates that old pixelated look found in your Golden and Silver Age comics. I am very glad that Action Lab is not only having Daniel create the cover art, but that each issue will feature a variant of the Flashback Backup as well. It’s such a great retro look. Daniel Arruda Massa is a fabulous choice for illustrations in COUGAR AND CUB and shows how an artist can incorporate two different styles, from the writing of two different people, and still maintain the integrity of the series and characters within.

PopCultHQ’s overall assessment:

I love everything about this book! I was smiling from the first page (the cover actually). If I wasn’t smiling, I was laughing. If I wasn’t laughing, I was choking on my coffee a little. It’s an adult-oriented, light-hearted sexcapade that screams of endless possibilities. I’m excited to see some backstory on these terrific villains who are full of character simply from their illustrations.

COUGAR AND CUB is a surprisingly hilarious take on the superhero genre and the refreshing kick it desperately needed. There are so many things that have this book reeking of awesomeness, I feel I should refrain many of them for you to find out for yourself. I will say this as to its major strengths. By using the caption boxes for narration, and the dialogue within delivered in that manner, it’s an outstanding dynamic that recreates that old-time superhero tales feel. As if you are on the adventure with the duo. The thing that stands out to me the most about COUGAR AND CUB, and which I feel is the perfect compliment to the title is the inclusion of alliterations and innuendos.

If you don’t give COUGAR AND CUB a try, you are truly missing out on a story guaranteed to make you laugh twice, if not three times, more than any comic you’re currently reading. Action Lab is kicking off the New Year with powerful debuts from DOLLFACE and THE CIRCLE, the upcoming INFINITE SEVEN and AMERIKARATE, and now COUGAR AND CUB. Danger Zone is coming hard in 2017!

Get COUGAR AND CUB on your pull list because this will be the series you can always rely on to give you that risqué humor you need with plenty of tongue-in-cheek moments, and likely in other places.