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Latta, Josh – Rashy Rabbit #7: Droppin’ Anchor
Rashy Rabbit #7: Droppin’ Anchor
I have to give Josh some serious credit. I really didn’t think that a series about a foul-mouthed rabbit (named “Rashy Rabbit” of all things) would be able to last. Or, if it did last, that Josh could keep it interesting. It seemed like your standard one note premise, something that would be fun for a few issues and then get old. Then a funny thing happened: character development. Oh sure, it was there to see from the beginning, but Josh is still clearly trying to make single issues accessible to new readers (which is my guess for why the numbers stopped appearing on the covers a few issues ago) and that’s a delicate balance to keep up. Well, he’s done it. This issue starts off with Rashy falling out with his girlfriend. She wants him to grow up, so he sets out to sea to become a man. Meanwhile, Benny tries to horn in on the situation, with the ex offering plenty of resistance. This wouldn’t be a Rashy Rabbit comic if crazy shit didn’t start happening at this point, so we get mermaids and a strange land where nobody ever ages. But Rashy, what with his improvements to becoming a man, isn’t content to spend eternity surrounded by half-naked mermaids who haven’t seen a man in years. No, he’s mostly concerned with getting back with his ex and setting things right. Still, Josh had plenty of chances to screw up the ending, and he navigated all of it to end up with a very satisfying and funny comic. With hints of more character development to come! I’m impressed with how this comic has matured over the years while still holding onto what made it great to begin with. If you’re a delicate flower and have been holding off on checking it out because of the title, well, I think it’s time to lighten up a bit. $4
Latta, Josh – Rashy Rabbit #6: A Rabbit in King Arthur’s Food Court
Rashy Rabbit #6: A Rabbit in King Arthur’s Food Court
If I didn’t know better I’d swear that was almost a happy ending on the last page of this book. Um, spoiler alert. Don’t worry, while it still has elements related to happiness there’s still the inevitable reality of Rashy’s crappy job, and the fact that his whole quest for the better part of this issue is a textbook case of “be careful what you wish for”. Rashy begins the issue as a menial worker in a renaissance-themed restaurant in the local mall, and one of the first things we see of him is his getting crapped on by a horse getting ready for some jousting. Things look like they’re getting worse from there, but he catches a break: his friend has happened upon a large pile of pot and they devise a plan to sell it and rake in the cash. Rashy wants to use his portion to buy a ring for his girlfriend (Honey Bunny, from previous issues; the one who had a kid with Rashy’s enemy), but things get tricky when the entire staff of the restaurant (except for the hero jouster) gets too stoned to participate, leaving Rashy to step in as a jouster, and the owners of that large pile of pot track Rashy down. Chaos ensues, but chaos of the funny kind. Great stuff this time around. I thought everything came together nicely in the end, but that sort of thing is only possible with an excellent beginning and middle. Yep, that’s my bit of wisdom for the day. Check it out, why don’t you? This sort of series would go nicely as a graphic novel and Josh must have almost enough material to make that possible, so now all he needs is money/interest from you readers. Get to it! $4
Latta, Josh – Rashy Rabbit #4
Rashy Rabbit #4
You know, I’m starting to get the impression that things are never going to end well for Rashy. In this issue we get to see the hilarious fate of Morie after his quest for the lesbian, Rashy dealing with his stoner cousin (who seems to have effortless luck with the ladies, unlike Rashy), Rashy dealing with his mother, and Rashy being the nice friend who doesn’t take advantage of the drunk, seemingly interested female friend. Josh has this sad little world thoroughly nailed, and this could easily turn into something vast and rewarding over the next five years, with all sorts of subplots and twists and turns. …or he could drop it completely to focus on other things or because of a lack of free time from his “real” job, as seems to happen to most people. Either way, enjoy the funny while it’s around. $3
Latta, Josh – Rashy Rabbit #3
Rashy Rabbit #3
I do believe, for all you obsessive compulsive collector type geeks out there, that the previous issue was actually Rashy Rabbit #1. Or this issue is really Anxiety, Sleep Problems & Depression #3. I have no idea which of these is right, which must be driving you compulsive types crazy, but you’ll have to live with it. Or go to his website and research it, if it makes you so crazy. Anyway, the comic. Rashy seems to be in a pretty crappy place in the world, as the comic starts with even a seedy massage parlor turning him away. Things seem to be looking up as he happens across a possible job (at a coffee shop) and an attractive pot dealer, who promises to “hook him up” later in the evening. Things fall apart in a hurry from there, of course, but half the fun is watching it all happen. There’s also a subplot with Rashy’s friend Morie who is trying desperately to get into the pants of a lesbian at work. The art is phenomenal again, with all sorts of little things happening in the backgrounds of panels (my favorite was the mama bird bringing back a used condom to feed her baby birds), making this one of those comics that rewards you for repeated readings. It’s a great read overall; you can just feel Rashy sinking deeper and deeper into the shit as the issue goes on. $3, stay away kiddies, here there be boobies…
Latta, Josh – Redskin Rashy: Rashy Rabbit #5
Redskin Rashy: Rashy Rabbit #5
Who needs a visible numbering system? If people like this comic they’re going to get the new issues when they come out anyway, right? Josh takes a big departure this time around by making most of the action in the comic take place outside, and outside the grid, with a group of “Indians” who are making their own way. Rashy is saved from at least a beating from Benny by his friend Jimmy, who happens to stop by because he’s checking out the contents of a dumpster. Jimmy lives off the grid and convinces Rashy to join him for a bit, they’re attacked by Indians and spend the rest of the issue trying to figure out what happened to them, where they are and why they shouldn’t just stay there forever. There’s mayhem, boobs, and some seriously funny lines, as is pretty much always the case for these Rashy Rabbit books. This one didn’t strike me as being as funny as his previous issues, but I’m going to fail you completely by failing to point out a single reason why that’s the case. Maybe because I can’t really relate to the outdoorsy stuff, even when told from the perspective of a creature that is obviously out of his depth? Maybe so. It’s still funny though, and there is character development, such as it is, between Rashy and his conversation with Mary. There’s also random slapstick hilarity, if you’d prefer to stay far away from character development. So what does all that rambling add up to? Ambivalent, leaning towards liking a lot, possibly falling either way if I were to read it again. In other words, it’s useless to you, the reader. You’re welcome! $4
