When I agreed to review this comic, I had actually never seen the original, 1984 Troma film, The Toxic Avenger. So, in preparation, before reading this graphic novel, I watched the movie, which is free on a number of different streaming platforms, to get an idea of how this new version compares to the original. In retrospect, what I should have watched was the 1991 animated series, The Toxic Crusaders, because this comic has almost nothing in common with the movie, but shares a number of characters and other elements with the show.
The story has also been updated for the current-world climate. The original movie may be the most ’80s thing I have ever seen—as well as pretty much the epitome of “you couldn’t make that movie today.” This new comic puts us instead in a world of viral social media fame, of fake news and conspiracy theories, and of corporate greed and political corruption—oh wait, that last part was a major hallmark of the original, as well.
We open on a city in quarantine. Some vague disaster has befallen the town of Tromaville, causing many of the teenagers to become mutants. Now the town has been cut off from the rest of the world, as the authorities try to contain the chaos. Many of the affected teenagers are also being held in an undisclosed location, with no word as to what’s become of them or when or if they’ll ever be released.
Over the course of the first chapter, we work our way backwards through the first four days of the quarantine, gradually learning more about the toxic disaster (dubbed the “adverse discharge event” by the media) that caused this mayhem in the first place: how it happened and how our main characters came to be in its path.
Chief among those main characters is Melvin, a former 98-pound nerd, whose encounter with the toxic material has made him completely jacked—but also green-skinned and severely deformed. His best friend is Yvonne, who plays the accordion and can’t see a thing without her glasses—and barely a thing with them. Melvin, Yvonne, and Melvin’s mother try to navigate this “new normal” that has befallen the town and figure out what to do in its wake.
A number of other Tromaville residents were mutated in the disaster and received powers of their own—many of them villains, whom Melvin, a.k.a. Toxie, has to defeat. My personal favorite villain, though, has no powers at all. Lydia Flick, PR person for Biohazard Solutions, is in charge of the spin on this “adverse discharge event,” which includes keeping information under wraps and keeping public opinion favorable. Let’s just say it’s no coincidence that her company’s initials are B.S. Alternating seamlessly between press-friendly doubletalk and corporate jargon, she’s positively dripping with evil and wields far more power than any of the mutated villains.
This is a fun adventure, with tongue planted firmly in cheek throughout. It’s also filled with Easter eggs: sly references to Troma films, DC, Marvel, and much more. In terms of plot elements and characters, this comic bears little resemblance to the original film. But the underlying vibe is the same: weird, funny, sarcastic, satirical, sometimes violent, often gross, extremely campy, but ultimately good-hearted. If that appeals to you, then The Toxic Avenger is definitely worth a read.
Creative Team: Matt Bors (writer/artist), Fred Harper (artist), Lee Loughridge (color), Rob Steen (letters)
Publisher: Ahoy Comics
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