Rascals in Paradise

Rating:
Summary: Just fun
Review: If you're easily offended by sexual stereotypes, pretend I gave this 0 stars and move on.

If you like a little over-the-top silliness, competent drawing, and discreet airbrushing in place of anatomical accuracy, you might like this one. It has the two female leads (including the girl soldier), always a moment away from disaster, a moment away from rescue, and a moment away from bouncing out of the costume. It has the jungle princess, the king of the monkey-men, and the dashing hero with pencil-thin mustache. It recreates the older kinds of adventures, the great-grandparents of Indiana Jones.

"Rascals" is completely enjoyable: a lot of good, stylized drawing, a little adventure, and nothing at all to think about.

Rating:
Summary: Great modern revival of 30's pulp sci-fi jungle adventure.
Review: Jim Silke creates a masterpiece of comic book art withhis series "Rascals In Paradise," re-printed in a highquality magazine-size beautifly painted graphic novel. Set in the far future. The galactic government creates a world of the past, so that those who seek adventure can have an outlet for their energies. It is supposed to be a replica of Earth in 1932. However, the computer fouls up, and the planet is covered in a crazy-quilt of jungles, deserts, and ancient civilizations. Dubbed "Trash-9", this fantasy planet becomes even more appealing to adventurers who find the company of beast men, cannibals, and other barbarians a welcome alternative to the daily 9-5 humdrum. (Hey, it puts role playing games to shame!) The story centers around Dorine "Spicy" Saunders, an aptly-named spunky blonde that travels to the planet to join her deceased father's mercenary unit. With (or rather, on) her is a map that leads through the jungles to a hidden treasure. She is determined to fufill her quest, even though this means battling sky pirates, savage apes, seductive redhead preistesses, and the sexual harassment of her fellow "rascals." If you ever liked Conan, Tarzan, Buck Rogers, or other early pulp adventure stories, (Not to mention pretty girls in leapord skin bikinis)this is an excellent ressurection of the genre. I highly recommend it! ( Ben Bridenbaugh - [e-mail])