Review #20: What's this?

Title: The Nineteenth-Century Industrialist
Artist: Renee Katz
Collective/Studio: ComicGenesis
Genre: Humor
Updates: M/W/F (I think)
Link: http://thebaron.comicgenesis.com

"Doc, you gotta come back!"

"Receptionist boy..." The doc muttered, shaking a glass full of ice in his hand, with a small brown spot at the bottom indicating that some alcoholic beverage once inhabited it, "I...I thought told you...piss off."

"Uhh, no you just told me that now."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, then here's your second one: piss off!"

"Dammit Dr. Haus! What happened to you?"

"I just couldn't keep it up." The doctor gulped down whatever drop was left in his glass, then proceeded to start chewing some of the ice around in his mouth. As he chewed, he continued, "Dammit, what is going on with webcomics these days? Everyone tryin' to be the next Penny Arcade or...or the next...whatever fucking insult to 'Dot-hack' this is! Dot-hack! Hah! More like the artist is a hack!"

"Dr. Haus, you were usually snarkier with your put-downs! You even reviewed one in the style of the Rude Pundit, even if it was with more restrained language! You're better than this!

"Oh really?" He proceeded to chew the remaining ice around his mouth from the cup in his hand, "Like what?"

"Well, there's this one I found in your absence that I can't stop reading."

"Lemme see it," Dr. Haus said, "What the hell is this shit?"

"It's The Nineteenth-Century Industrialist, sir."

"So, who cares about the industrial revolution?"

"Uh, sir. It's not that simple."

"Then what is it about? A stereotypical rich, evil Jew with bad teeth?"

"Well...yeah, actually."

"Then I don't wanna read it."

"Dammit sir, look through the archives!"

"Fine, if it'll make you shut up."

And as the beloved Doctor Haus flipped through the archives of this comic, he suddenly felt a warm feeling in his gut, one that wasn't induced from the booze he just drank.

"Hmm," The Doctor muttered, cracking his knuckles, "I feel a review coming on..."

It seems that this comic is a one-stop shop for 'stupid' humor.

Lesse, right off the bat, you'll notice this strip contains lots of tension between the old 19th century industrialist with bad teeth and a monocle named Hiram Thorpe who hates the environment and his workers, yet is inexplicably the owner of a factory in the present day (probably because he bleeds oil). Throw in the disgruntled poster boy of the working-class hero, named "Grimey," who seems to clash all the time with his foil in the small, androgynous, happy-go-lucky worker named "Sooty". What do you get? FUN! IN ALL CAPS! WITH SEVERAL EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!

Also, there's some dude named Professor Scourge (who knows the secret of how Thorpe appears in the present, but won't say why), and Karl Marx shows up early in the comic. Oh, and don't forget Uncle Sam, Pope Panzerfaust I, and other people who don't really matter.

So, what's to like about this comic? One-shot jokes and schizophrenic humor. Witness how, in one strip, Uncle Sam fucks up Thorpe's office before verbally berating him. Directly following that strip is a mini-arc where the Pope and his "Priest Patrol" try to forcibly extract some charity from him (no, not like that! What the Hell is wrong with you people?).

The art also seems to match this style of humor perfectly. Sometimes, you'll see Thorpe's mouth stretch to ginormous proportions when he's berating his workers. Other times, you'll see him turn all chibi-like when he's happy. Also, just look at the last four panels in this strip. Thorpe's face takes on an almost Looney Tunes-esque transformation.

Long story short, if you want to find a stupid humor comic that doesn't simply retread gaming jokes and pop-culture references, but allows you to laugh at your asshole boss who won't give you that raise for your minimum wage job, despite working to the bone for him (me? Bitter? Nah.), then you'll love this comic.

And as the bartender came to pick up the tab, the Doctor had disappeared, leaving only that brief review on the barstool as proof that he was ever there.

"Dr. Haus," The bartender growled, grabbing a pre-made broken bottle, "You think this shitty review will sate my thirst for money? Guess what, when I punch out, your ass is mine!"

To be continued?