“Super ‘Suckers” is a comic book series that is near and dear to me. I first reviewed it for Examiner while that online publication was still around. ComiXology offered the first digital comic as a giant-sized 68-page issue (known as a Binge Book) on July 15, 2015. Since Examiner shut down their operations in 2016, I lost the review file that I had published. So here we are, Comixology re-released “Super ‘Suckers #1” as two individual books now (as of January 31, 2018, they’re broken down as issues 1.1 and 1.2). “Super ‘Suckers” is written by Darin Henry, illustrated by Jeff Shultz, colored by Glenn Whitmore, and lettered by Marshall Dillon, published by Sitcomics, “It’s TV You Read!”
For starters, in order to begin with reviewing this issue and series, readers need to know the cast of characters. Below are images and character information for the cast of “Super ‘Suckers.” The background characters will have less information, but they still play their roles in these premiere issues. First, the main characters:
Kelly Kellogg: She’s the popular, blonde-haired girl and the president of the Dixon College Chapter of Rho, Rho, Rho. She speaks with corny dialogue and always feels like she needs a boyfriend. She’s dating an Eastern guy named Dragos, but there’s more to him than Kelly realizes after he breaks up with her. She’ll find out very soon though…
Jess: She, too, is dating Dragos, but he recently broke up with her, so her first appearance is in the bathroom, regurgitating the booze she’s been drinking due to heartbreak. Good thing Kelly is there to assist Jess, but what will happen when they find out they’ve been dating the same guy? Jess is quirky and not very social…
Stewart: Stewart is the “weird” guy on campus. He has difficulty finding women to date him, but he is a key player for Kelly and Jess. They will need him more than they think. He is also known as the guy who soiled himself in class last semester. Not a good memory to have, especially since the students don’t forget such a public “accident” like this…
Vera Hodge: What a fun character Vera is. She’s carefree, she flashes the male students from her window after her shower (even though they tell her repeatedly to stop doing this). Her sex drive is very high, so there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for a campus man. She’s protective of her roommate, Jess, well…at least when Jess is in their dorm room with a guy. She won’t let ANYONE in their room!
Here are some of the secondary/background characters:
Dragos Ferferferferfer: He’s the guy who dated both Jess and Kelly, and broke up with them one day apart from each other. He is the reason that this comic book series is called “Super ‘Suckers.” This and he’s a two-timing sumabitch! Richard has been hunting him down for quite sometime now…
Richard: He’s a vampire slayer and he took up the family business. His great-grandfather drove off some vampires that infiltrated his village, so slaying vampires is in his blood. Who knows what will happen if he finds out whom else are vampires on campus…
Paisley, Summer, and Lyric: Kelly‘s sorority sisters. Paisley is the smart one, Summer and Lyric are not so bright, but Paisley keeps them in check…and she thinks she needs new friends due to their bubbly nature. They’re loyal to their sorority, but how do they feel when Vera wants to join Rho, Rho, Rho?
Looking at both covers for Issue 1, the first thought that will cross people’s minds is that these characters look like they came out of an “Archie” comic book. Artist Jeff Shultz illustrated issues of “Archie” and “Betty and Veronica,” so that’s where the art style comes from. Darin Henry is the writer, and his credits include writing for “Seinfeld,” “Futurama,” “Grosse Pointe,” and “The War At Home.” What makes Sitcomics so unique is their rating system. Instead of “All-Ages,” “Teen+,” or “Mature,” they go by a TV schedule. “7:00-8:00” refers to “9+,” and “9:00” refers to “Teens and Up.” This series is rated “9:00” for a good reason, because…college life!
The story kicks off with the introduction of Kelly and her sorority sisters, as they’re preparing for their blood drive sorority party. Readers are then introduced to Dragos, Kelly‘s boyfriend, or rather ex, as he breaks up with her and tells her he’s leaving America. Heartbroken, Kelly runs to the restroom, only to find a student in there throwing up in the toilet. Here readers are introduced to Jess, and after Kelly and Jess have a brief conversation, they both realize that they’ve both been dumped by their boyfriends. The story really gets going when we find out that they were both dumped by the same guy. But that’s not it, the two girls notice some changes within themselves…
What else do Kelly and Jess have in common? Because these two girls are polar opposites! Will they get along? These are the questions that popped in my mind while reading this for the first time. Shortly after, Stewart makes his first appearance, and from the get-go, readers will notice just how odd he is. However, he’s set up to be a major player for Kelly and Jess, whether they like it or not. Stewart is also good buddies with Dragos, so that’s why he approaches the girls.
Finally, readers are introduced to Vera, and from her first appearance, we realize that she’s going to be a fun character in this series. Vera‘s dialog, attitude, and free-spirit make her a likable character. The story advances nicely from this point on, it’s truly like watching a TV show within these comic book pages. These premiere issues are as the cover states, “A Bloody Funny Vampire Comic!” From these first issues alone, I can see this series being made into a television series, network or streaming. It has to be read and seen to see what I’m referring to…
This is a fun story to read, the artwork fits the genre perfectly, and the colors make each panel stand out. Add to this, the regular “Sit-Commercials” that interrupt the story at various points, this story literally feels like a television series with commercials. What Sitcomics is doing is unique, original, and so much fun to read. Give them a chance, they have comics featuring different genres, so there’s something to read for anybody.
Overall, this is a fun and exciting book to read, I enjoyed every bit of it, from cover to cover. The most important thing is that these are characters that readers will begin to care about. Like reality, every character has his or her own personality, and that’s what will draw readers into this series. I rate “Super ‘Suckers #1” 4.9 out of 5 Geek-Heads, what a great way to start a new series off! Big kudos to the creative team of “Super ‘Suckers,” and I’m looking forward to reviewing the next chapters. You can purchase the digital comics on comiXology by clicking on the issue numbers below:
© 2018 Sitcomics. © The Henry Farm 2018, Inc.
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