PVP (2003) #19

October 3, 2005

Quick Rating: Good

Will Jade’s sister tear her relationship with Brent apart?

Writer: Scott Kurtz
Art: Scott Kurtz
Cover Art: Jonathan Luna
Publisher: Image Comics

When Jade Fontaine’s sister Miranda comes for a visit, she starts coming on to Brent Sienna in a big way. Whenever he tries to tell his girlfriend Jade, or anyone else for that matter, they treat him with disbelief. So what’s Miranda got up her sleeve?

As is often the case with PVP, the story is drawn from the sort of convoluted situation that belongs on a television sitcom. (Brent has even made comments in the daily PVP strip that they’ll be finished as soon as the public realizes they’re just a rip-off of Newsradio). But somehow the fact that it is such a familiar, over-the-top formula is exactly what makes PVP work. The reason the strip is so funny is because it’s not really about video games, but because it’s a satire of the workplace comedy. Kurtz uses the familiar stories and set-ups and turns them into great bits of metafictional comedy.

The second storyline in this issue draws equally from TV – some time ago Cole let go of his old friends Robbie and Jase and they wound up working for his arch-enemy, Max Powers. Now the promise of a reality show is drawing the rest of the PVP staff, and a justifiably upset Cole goes to ridiculously (and hilariously) un-justified lengths to teach them a lesson. Heck, just the sight of Skull in a giant handlebar mustache is reason enough to buy this comic book.

For fans, Jonathan Luna (of Girls and Ultra fame) contributes this month’s cover, a nice piece reminiscent of old-fashioned romance comic, complete with angst-ridden dialogue from Jade. I rather like when Kurtz gets a guest-artist for the cover, it’s always fun to see the PVP crew done in different styles.

Overall, a good, solid issue of a great humor comic book.

Rating: 7/10