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Buddy Cops is More Collision Course than Bad Boys

Buddy Cops is More Collision Course than Bad Boys

Buddy Cops

Story: Nate Cosby
Art: Evan Shaner
Letters: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

“Tolerating your ridiculousness is an assignment which I am no longer capable of preforming”

Comedy is very hard to pull off. It takes timing, finesse, restraint, and intelligence. Some people have it, and other’s do not. While many comics have funny moments in them, many simply shy away from outright comedy. It’s easier to have epic battles in outer-space with quirky one-liners than it is to have a whole comic devote solely to making the reader laugh. Buddy Cops, a one-shot from Dark Horse Comics is looking to fill that roll, but does it succeed?

The short answer is; sometimes. Since the original 48 Hrs film with Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, the buddy cop formula has been a mainstay of modern movies. Classics, such as Lethal Weapon, and not-so classics, such as Hollywood Homicide, have come and gone leaving various degrees of fans in their wake. The creators of Buddy Cops are obviously big fans of the genre. In this case, the wild and reckless police officer is a drunk named Uranus. The straight laced by-the-book cop is a robot called T.A.Z.E.R. Instead of one story, the reader is given an series of cases that showcases the dynamic of our oddball couple and this is where the fault lies.

Cosby wants to create a funny book, but there is nothing in the story that helps thebuddycops readers connect with the characters. There is no sense of danger, and really, no rhyme or reason for the humour. Uranus is supposed to be funny because he uses ghetto-speak and is always drunk. While that may be enough for some people (probably the same people who make The Hangover a hit series) those of a higher-brow humour are left simply wondering what else the book has to offer. That’s not to say all the jokes fall flat. The introduction to the characters as well as the Lionel Ritchie montage show signs of potential and originality. It’s the fault of the creative team for opting out of storytelling.

Shaner’s art on the other hand is quite impressive. The character designs are original and the colouring is spot-on. The art is cartoony and fun and drawn with the bravado of a seasoned artist. A stand-out is the giant baboon monk with a sling shot that battles our titular heroes. If only we had more time to flesh out a story.

Buddy Cops is a one-shot, which means if this book is successful then we may see a series in the works. On its own there is not a whole lot to recommend besides potential. This could be an entertaining series, but as an issue of vignettes, there just isn’t much to offer besides a giggle or two.

[wpchatai]