Plot: Two more stories of random craziness from Jim Mahfood’s brain. The first one entitled, "Brian and Rod: Battle of the Bands, Battle of the Hearts" is about a pair of skaters who form a band to win over the two “hottest” girls at their high school. The second story, "Echo Chambers: Bombastic Avenging Disco Space Goddess" really needs no other insight then that.

Comments: I can’t help but feel bias as I read this. Not only a big fan of Jim Mahfood’s art, but the fact he did an art piece capturing the madness of one of my favorite writers, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, makes him feel like a kindred spirit. That being said, this series ends with this book. Only a two issue run, and it’s a damn shame. The way the art of the book can quickly maneuver between standard comic art and just plain gonzo absurdness that would make Ralph Steadman proud is just engaging. Anyone who has seen his Mixtape Volumes knows of his connection to urban art and graffiti, so the art of this book shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise of its gritty yet striking nature.

As for the stories inside, I felt like the first issue had better structure. "Brian and Rod" was a nice tale of teenage lust and rebellion along with triumphs and failures. The inside references on music where a nice touch for me. However, I wasn’t as enthusiastic with the "Echo Chambers" section of the book. It was a decent tale that really didn’t have any depth or reasonable pace to it, which isn’t really either of the book’s strong points. I just felt that out of all the stories, this was the weakest link in the chain. At least with the first issue, the stories where both original and entertaining, much like "Brian and Rod." This one just appeared to be the part of the series where Jim Mahfood would like you know that he draws and creates beautiful mostly nude women. Most of the panels were more focused on the curves and shapes on Ms. Chambers then anything else. You can’t really criticize the choice of it thought. What faster way to warm the clogged arteries in the heart of any average fanboy then a scantily clad woman swinging a robotic combat death club? It’s the same tired debate of style vs. substance that I’m not getting into on here. It’s just an opinion.

Final Word: Depending on the company, this year is the time of shape shifting aliens waging world on our beloved superheroes or a clan of gods meeting their demise at the hands of a distant monarch. Give your brain a well deserved vacation into a book where the end of the journey isn’t as important as the ride along the way.

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