This Review Originally Ran on Comics Bulletin
Holli Hoxxx Volume 1
(Austin Tinius, Adam Tinius, Stefano Cardoselli; Bogus Books)
Rating: 5/5 stars
Ok, I'm not going to beat around the bush on this one, and I'm not going to try to sound either clever or hip. A matter of fact, I'm not going to hold in my emotions at all. Dammit, I'm giving myself permission to gush:
I LOVE HOLLI HOXXX VOLUME 1!
If this book was a sandwich, it would already be in my belly and I would be dreaming of eating it again.
The last time a Tinius hooked up with a Cardoselli, they brought us the ball-slapping mindfuckery of Dr. Muscles. This time, in Holli Hoxxx Volume 1, they tone down the ball-slapping and amp up the mind-fuckery, and, by doing so, unleash a thing of beauty, genius, art, love, joy, and wonderment.
If this comic was a pillow, I would never get out of bed.
In the world of Holli Hoxxx Volume 1, it's the year 2051 and gravity has ceased to exist. This, or course, complicates pretty much everything, unless floating off into the cold reaches of space and suffocating/freezing to death is your thing (and if it is, I really don't think we can date). Since 2021, the Tycho Corporation has cornered the market on gravity boots, literally anchoring their market share to the ground. But a new company is on the move. The Newton Company has created giant pyramid shaped "Newtons" which emit a gravity field which will seriously cut into Tycho's profit share. At the start of this book, The Newton Company is set to shortly switch on their machines and bring the floating island of Manhattan back down to where it once was.
As if this was not complicated (AND WONDERFUL) enough, while setting up the "Newtons" a couple of workers uncover what they think is the dead body of an amazingly beautiful woman. This woman is Holli Hox, the former spokesmodel (and artificial construct) for the Tycho corporation, who has been missing for decades.
The plot pinballs expertly between Holli's search for answers as to where she has been and how she ended up there, the industrial intrigue going on at Tycho and The Newton Company, the lives of a couple of The Newton Company's working stiffs, and the comings and goings of the Lunaticks (a beautifully imagined group of street thugs who have taken over Manhattan). The whole book is one big endless unfolding, sprinkled with amazing character development, plot twists and mystery. Nothing is simple in Holli Hoxxx Volume 1. The Tinius boys have complete control of their story and absolute trust in their readers to follow what they are doing.
And if the story telling wasn't enough to grab you by the short hairs and command your attention (and it is, trust me) there is Stefano Cardoselli's art. This book is the perfect vehicle to let Cardoselli shine, allowing him full rein to to pack his panels with all sorts of grand gestures and subtle moments. His color palette runs the full spectrum and his hand vacillates from loose to tight at the exact moment of perfection. This is an artist on top of his game.
Did I happen to mention that I LOVE THIS COMIC? Because I do.
If Holli Hoxxx Volume 1 was my bank account I would be buying the Eiffel Tower right now just to spit on the Parisians with impunity (not that I have anything against the French).
Do yourself a favor. Get this book, fall in love, and be sure to thank me.
Holli Hoxx Volume 1 is available for purchase from Bogus Books.
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