Blood Bowl: Killer Contract #1 (of 5)

Posted by Max on June 23, 2008

(Boom! Studios)

(Note: Sorry for the short review this week folks. I’m currently battling some sort of Mongolian Death Flu, and as such my brain is functioning at about half capacity right now, just below coherent typing and just above actively drooling on myself.)

Long considered the wussified bastard child of rugby, American football received a much needed injection of insanity in 1987, when Jervis Johnson released the turn-based board game Blood Bowl. Start with regular football, add in a host of fantasy races and remove most of the rules, and what you’re left with is a blood-soaked spectacle that makes Rollerball seem positively tame. It’s an interesting premise, and considering the relative dearth of sports themed comics here in America, it seems like Blood Bowl: Killer Contract would have a ready made niche on store shelves. Unfortunately, some mis-steps keep this title from being much more than an interesting side-note.

Lads Helloven handles the artistic duties, and the man has seem serious drawing chops to back up his sweet name. His work is highly stylized, but with an attention to detail that lends a sense of realism to the otherwise cartoonish characters. More importantly however, Helloven brings an element of physicality and speed to the proceedings that gives the images a distinct sense of motion and flow, key elements considering the fast-paced and brutal nature of the game. While it probably won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, Helloven feels like the perfect fit for this title, and having seen his work it’s hard to image anyone else doing it better.

As to the story, it concerns a game between the Bad Bay Hackers and the Orcland Raiders, and if those names didn’t make you chuckle, you’re in for a long read. While there are some interesting elements here (an assassination plot, a reluctant player, a marriage) everything is presented in a slapdash fashion, with each plot point simply being dropped in the readers lap. We barely know these characters, so it’s tough to feel much surprise or interest when a long-lost father shows up, or someone suddenly reveals an ulterior motivation. Without a strong story, the comic’s left with its humor to fall back on, and again it’s going to be hit or miss depending on your personal tastes. Most of the “comedy” is centered around puns, with sponsors such as Bloodwesier and Slap ‘N’ Deck ‘Er. To be fair, some of the banter between the unseen announcers is pretty damn funny, but that only makes up a small portion of the overall proceedings. It’s unfortunate, because it seems like with a more light-hearted tone this comic could have been a winner, but writer Matt Forbeck instead chooses to play things relatively straight, and as a result it’s tough to recommend this issue as a stand-alone book. There’s a lot of potential here, but I for one will be waiting to see how the series plays out before I jump on board.

3 and a half out of 5 Vikings.

Filed Under: Rack Raids

Tags: 3.5/5, Action/Adventure, blood bowl, Boom

Gyuss Baaltar said,

I hate to geek out, but this game took up so much of my time in college, I might have to pick this up.

For a tabletop game, the continuity of a sports season, having some players out for games with injuries, and even end of the season contract negotiations with stars, there actually was a very active story element in playing with friends.

This could actually turn out as decent material for a story.

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Blood Bowl: Killer Contract #1 (of 5)

Filed Under: Rack Raids

Tags: 3.5/5, Action/Adventure, blood bowl, Boom

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