Issue #3 of Polish comic series Vreckless Vrestlers ended with Sergeant Reptilion and Vegan Cat preparing to face off in the brutal finals of the 59th One Rule-No Rules VreVre tournament, which is held in Ari-Zona in 3068 using UFC-type advertising to hype up the match. Which non-humanoid fighter will reign supreme, and could there be something much worse waiting for the winner? (Yes, a mysterious champion known only as Bullgod is waiting in the wings for the Vreckless Mania grand finale!)
Lukasz Kowalczuk opted to release the final issue of Vreckless Vrestlers as a double issue including the fourth and fifth installments in one volume, which works quite well. It allows readers to experience the final fight and the surprising climax without waiting. It continues to be gruesome and violent, but I actually find this volume a little less extreme than the first four; however, as before, parents should check out the content before giving it to a younger reader.
I did forget some of the character names between reviewing the previous issues and this one, so my only minor complaint with this volume is that the character descriptions didn’t show up again. The story itself kept up the over-the-top fighting and includes a surprising plot twist that most readers will not anticipate. (No, I’m not sharing. If you want to know, buy the book and read it yourself.) I will merely say that the final reveal explains a lot about the strange cast of characters!
Kowalczuk also continues to deliver with his cartoony, green/black/white artwork that expresses the vital portions of the wordless story. I don’t know if I’d buy a print for my home décor, but it keeps the violence below my realism threshold and allows me to enjoy the quirkiness of a story about non-human, intergalactic aliens in a death match.
Vreckless Vrestlers #4-5 wouldn’t make my favorite comic of the year, but it’s a satisfying conclusion to the events of Issues #0-3. Again, if you can get print copies of the series, I strongly suggest doing so; they include stickers! Even more, the series is a creative use of the comic medium and provides a story complete unlike anything else I have read this year. Besides, how many of you can say you own a Polish comic book?
4 “Is Vegan Cat Melting?”s out of 5
