Collective Consciousness Shirtless Bear-Fighter #1

by stephengervais on June 21, 2017

Welcome back to Collective Consciousness, our weekly article where the staff takes one comic and puts it under the microscope. This allows us, and you, faithful reader, to get a good idea of how the comic fares against a variety of opinions. This week we're taking a look at the first issue of an new Image series with one of the greatest titles of all time, Shirtless Bear-Fighter #1.
 
Image solicit: “After being betrayed by the bears that raised him, the legendary Shirtless Bear-Fighter wanders the forest he's sworn to protect, fistfighting bears, eating flapjacks, and being the angriest man the world has ever known!
 
When wild-eyed, super-strong bears attack the citizens of Major City, Shirtless ventures into the human world to do what he does best...PUNCH THOSE BEARS IN THE FACE! But all is not as it seems. Someone is manipulating Shirtless...and only by confronting the demons of his past can Shirtless hope to save his future!”

Written by: Jody LeHeup and Sebastian Girner
Art by: Nil Vendrell
Publisher: Image Comics
 
Luc St-Clair

This comic was hilarious from start to finish, an ex-government, flapjack-eating, naked man who was raised by bears is called back into action to fight bears? It got my attention only the way an Image title could.
 
The story is pretty straight forward, the action will satisfy any professional wrestling fan, the art’s square edges with big bold one-page spreads makes me want to beg for honey and the usage of the action word “SLAP!” was so wrong, but unmistakably hilarious and actually made me laugh out loud. 
 
I don’t normally read these type of goofy titles, but if you’re looking for something different or just looking for a fun read, then “bear” your guilty reading pleasures into this baby, you won’t regret it. 
 
Hussein Al-Wasiti
 
This was awesome and hilarious, and one of the best Image #1s I've ever read.
 
I love it when a story doesn't take itself seriously and just has fun with its concept. Here we meet Shirtless Bear-fighter. That's his actual name. People call him Shirtless, it's awesome.
 
Shirtless Bear-fighter is good at one thing: fighting bears. And when a giant bear begins to terrorise a city, it's up to Shirtless to stand up for what's right and save lives.
 
Not too many comics nowadays are effortlessly funny, but this one is. Jody Leheup and Sebastian Girner's script was excellent, filled to the brim with bear-puns that genuinely had me laughing out loud. On the surface we have a very typical story in that Shirtless is a man who lives in the wilderness and he's forced to work for "the man" for one more job. Normally that would bother me but the jokes and the humour are more of a focus.
 
The art by Nil Vendrell was excellent. It perfectly captured the cartoony aspect of the story, while also delivering on the macho.
 
Ryan Lahaise
 
We need more comics like this one. I loved everything about this book. It's a complete parody of what superhero comics are but done in such a smart, witty and over the top way. Also who doesn't love a good repeatable dick joke!? Even while being a parody the feels are still brought in a strong and intense way that you really feel for Shirtless. Many times a comic that is mostly based around over the top humor, can be really forgettable. That's not the case here at all. We have a well crafted engaging story with some great stylized art that also manages to make you laugh. This is just for the adults but still trust me you wanna read this book.
 
 

Our Score:

9/10

A Look Inside