The utterly insane indie comic series Man vs. Rock has released its fourth issue and is continuing to revel in its gut-busting, bizarre, and at times (actually, most of the time . . . ) openly lewd ongoing saga of the human race’s war against the global rock menace. With Man vs. Rock: Volume Four, writers Victor Detroy and Kevin Bieber and artist Jared Lamp continue to deliver a satirical disaster/action comic that stands without peers in the current comic scene and dives deep into the demented rabbit hole that is the origin of Buck Stone . . . the rocks’ worst enemy!
MINOR SPOILERS BELOW
Man vs. Rock: Volume Four does pick up where we left off last issue, with Buck and Luke, a soldier in the U.S. Army, on the road to stop the rock menace, but Detroy and Bieber have fun with this issue by including a lengthy (and trippy) dream sequence and the “official” origin of the horrible, violent, racist, misogynistic lead character know as Buck Stone. (Spoiler: He has connections to both Charles Manson and Emma Stone.) Man vs. Rock: Volume Four struck me as tonally comparable to an amped-up version of MAD magazine or Cracked. Detroy and Bieber definitely have enough writing chops to make you laugh out loud more than once per issue, and while they occasionally mine a cheap joke, the majority of their scripts are hilariously acerbic and in your face, using topical humor to skewer the world around them. As I’ve mentioned before, the humor and writing style of Man vs. Rock is not for everyone, and the book clearly has a sharp “edge” that’s meant to shock and offend. That said, Man vs. Rock is far more than just some gimmicky “shocker,” including clever commentary on the world we live in and having been voted as one of the best indie titles of 2014 by Comic Bastards and in the Top 15 indie comics of 2014 by Bleeding Cool. How many endorsements do you need before you stop being a slave to the rocks and buy this comic???
In regards to Lamp’s artwork on the book, his talents continue to be on full display in Man vs. Rock. Lamp’s R. Crumb-esque style is perfect for the anarchist/punk rock/zine-type feel of the comic series, and he seems to stretch his wings further with each passing issue.
FINAL VERDICT: If you like the original . . . the bizarre . . . the extreme . . . and the hilarious, then Man vs. Rock: Volume Four should be a no-brainer for you. This is the kind of book that could only happen in the indie comic scene, and I guarantee that no matter what your feelings are on the Man vs. Rock series, after you read it, you will agree that you’ve never seen anything like it . . . EVER!
Also, I will remind you again, my fellow comic book sniffers . . . if you don’t support indie comics, the rocks win.
Find out more about Man vs. Rock: Volume Four and its creators, and check out some free previews of the book by visiting the official website at www.manvsrock.com. Man vs. Rock: Volume Four is also currently available for purchase through that website.
You can also check out my previous reviews of Man vs. Rock at the links below:
‘Man vs. Rock: Volume 1’ – Comic Book Review (Have You Got the Stones?)
‘Man vs. Rock: Volume Two’ – Comic Book Review (Are Your Ready to Rock?)
‘Man vs. Rock: Volume Three’ – Comic Book Review (‘Merica Rocks!)
In addition, here is a link to FBC’s episode of The Fanboy Scoop: Week in Review podcast covering Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo 2014, including an interview with Man vs. Rock’s Kevin Beiber.
The Fanboy Scoop: Week in Review – Ep #165
That’s all for now, comic book sniffers!
‘Till the end of the world,
-Bryant the Comic Book Slayer
@ComicBookSlayer
