What I Bought 2/28/2026 - Part 2

I spent most of last Friday on the road. Driving to Alex's, driving to his gig 300 miles away, driving back, then driving home, on about 1 hour of sleep. To be fair, that's more than I usually manage when he drives, but I still basically flopped on my couch as soon as I got home 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Next I knew, it was noon, and I was basically useless the rest of the weekend.

I don't intend to do anything like that this weekend. In fact, maybe I'll just sleep the entire weekend. That sounds fantastic.

Babs: The Black Road South #2, by Garth Ennis (writer), Jacen Burrows (artist), Andy Troy and Lee Loughridge (colorists), Rob Steen (letterer) - I don't know what Babs and Barry are looking at, but the horse is appalled.

Babs and Izzy pursue the questing party that's got all their money with the aid of a punch-drunk dragon. Who passes the time telling about how he used to be quite the fighter, with all the riches and women that came with it, until all the blunt force trauma put his career on the downslope. Then he confused one of his ladies for a sheep, and well, look, it's awful he ate her, but I don't think it's accurately described as toxic masculinity, as the other ladies accused, and which Babs and Izzy agree. He's got CTE and no depth perception, for fuck's sake!

Also, I imagine a dragon's metabolism is a real bear to keep fed. As in, a whole bear is something they'd probably like to eat, given the chance. 

Whatever. They catch up to the questing party in the town everyone stops at before continuing on to die in Mordynn. Babs is very concerned about being recognized, and reluctant to talk about her past experience. But she offers enough, combined with a flashback at the beginning of the issue, to know Ennis is parodying Lord of the Rings. With Babs in Sean Bean's spot, I believe, since everyone else is accounted for. Babs leaves Izzy to talk the body count, I mean, party into letting the two of them join, as their only hope to get back their money is make sure these goobers actually complete the quest and return with significant loot.

Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it, either. Especially since what appears to be the only other survivor of the faux-fellowship is lurking in the shadows, and the years don't appear to have been kind to him. 

Dust to Dust #7, by JG Jones (writer/artist), Phil Bram (writer), Jackie Marzan (letterer) - Back in the mid-2000s, there were these awful TV commercials for this local church. They always ended with, "Family Worship Center, it's a church on fire!" From a marketing sense, just terrible. However, it was great for my mood, Alex and I laughed our asses off. Still do. The only good thing organized religion in the United States, quite possibly the world, has ever produced.

The masked killer is getting down to business now. The baseball player fooling around with the preacher's daughter, in the church? Dead. The preacher's daughter, too. Then it's immediately to the farmhouse where the photographer's staying. It turns into an awkward fight of her, an old man in a wheelchair, and his wife with her frying pan, all against a guy in a gas mask.

Jones uses tall, narrow panels during the struggle, usually breaking up a single setting into discrete pieces that each center on one character. A panel of the old man trying to use his cane to stand, another of the killer with his machete, holding the photographer by the hair. A third of the missus coming in hot with the skillet, concluded by the start of her swing.

A chaotic, uncoordinated and ultimately, somewhat successful, fight for both sides. The killer doesn't manage to get the photographer, but does manage to escape with some of her photos. All because the sheriff couldn't haul himself out of the bath fast enough to do anything. Jeez, this guy ain't exactly impressing me, especially as he still thinks it's the moonshiners who've been dead for a couple of issues now.

The rest of the issue is spent on the rainmaker setting up his equipment while the Mayor looks on. The Mayor's brother is helping, which puts the two prime suspects for the killer in the same place, so I thought Jones and Bram might do something to hint at a head injury for one of them, after the frying pan, but no. It's getting difficult for me to figure this story is actually going to resolve next issue. Especially after the preacher chucks a rattlesnake at the rainmaker, causing a flinch and misfire of the device, which lights the church on fire.

I at least appreciate the preacher's own self-righteousness getting his place burned down.