Cougar and Cub #2 Review

Cougar and Cub #2

Writer: Nick Marino

Artist: Daniel Arruda Massa

Backup Story: Rosie Knight

Action Lab Danger Zone

Release Date: February 15, 2017

Cover Price: Comixology $2.99

Cougar, Cubs, and Cradles OH MY!

I don’t know about all comic readers but when I’m building my monthly pull list I like to include a variety of different comics from different genres in my list. I’m a man with commitment issues after all here; I can’t just read Batman and Spider-Man all the god damn time. I need something over the top, possibly shocking, that appeals to my weird side a bit maybe. Well in this instance I found a title that meets and exceeds those criteria in Action Lab Danger Zones Cougar and Cub by Nick Marino with art by Daniel Arruda Massa.  Here’s my elevator pitch to get you interested; now imagine Batman as an older female hero training a young male Robin type sidekick, give the book a groovy throwback feel, then make it vulgar, violent, rude, and crude with a whole bunch of funny …. Interested?  Jump in and let’s do this.

Here is a quick recap of the first book in this series to catch everyone up. After a long night of fighting crime, the duo of Cougar and Cub, ended up doing the ‘no pants dance’ together finally giving into the building tension between them.  Well as many of these tension filled situations tend to end up, it quickly turns regrettable the next day, as the two awkwardly go their separate ways.  The worst part is the ‘Rouges’, if you will, of the Cougar and Cub duo witnessed this all go down. This probably means bad things for our team of heroes.

This issue picks up with Cub in ‘sidekick school’ getting into a fight because of the rumors that’ve spread about, concerning him and Cougar hittin’ it, ironically also the name of this issue. Professor Gay Flamingo has to come rushing out to break up the ruckus and Cub runs off an emotionally unstable mess. Meanwhile Cougar is having her own crisis taking her building anger out on her poor maid leaving both of our heroes in an awful state of mind at the moment.

Meanwhile, Cougar and Cubs Rouges gather in a bunker to discuss how to handle the current glut of information at their disposal and what they’ll exactly do with it.  It is decided that only Norm, and his band of ‘Regulars’, will go cause a scene at the local Comic-Con forcing Cougar and Cub to show up to defend the crowd ...  which plays out exactly according to the bad guys evil plan.

Cougar and Cub rally the fellow look alike cosplayers present to fight Norm and his band of ‘Regulars’ and each side end up getting in their fair share of brutal crushing blows. However events come to a halt when Norm reveals, to all the Cougar and Cub fans present, the duo is keeping a secret from them.  Cougar trying to cover her sweet ass spews a few lies that nobody around buys. This forces Cub’s hand as he can take no more of this embarrassment and out of frustration quits side kicking declaring himself "no longer the Cunning Cub".  Everyone present gasps in shock as all three parties go their separate ways; Norm accomplishing his mission of destroying the duo, the fans having turned their back on Cougar for lying, and Cub quitting as sidekick altogether.  This undoubtedly leaves Cougar heart broken and on the ground as the issue concludes.

Overall Nick Marino (author of previous titles from Action Labs: Holy F*ck and Holy F*cked its sequel) does a great job of blending his patented comedy touch into the book and layering it with of a thick old school Batman-sequel type narration.  How that combination of writing works together here in this title goes a long way to making the book as enjoyable as it comes out being.  This is a mature title with adult jokes and really hits the spot after a long week of pretending to take life seriously at work.  

The art is a cartoony style that I love reminiscent of Daniel Arruda Massa’s work on the Holy F*ck series.  The fight scenes and their over the top nature, how all the characters look distinct and different from one another, and even just the colors in the book make it standout for sure. This is an art style I’d like to see used more often, especially in comedy related books.

NOTE: Issue one was released in print but apparently issue two and the rest of this series will only be released digitally, and can be purchased through Comixology if you’re interested in checking it out. I suggest you have a cup of coffee this weekend and enjoy a few laughs.

Bits and Pieces

Cougar and Cub is a brand of comedy satire I can get behind and love how it’s being told. Nick Marino and Daniel Arruda Massa have put out another creative little ditty here, in line with previous works, only this one has a throwback feel involving super hero ‘affairs’ of simpler times … with a twist of course.

8.0/10