by Joe Iconic, Reporter

When Area 51 employees Agents Gibson and Hatch forget to pay the rent on the facility’s off-site storage unit, the secret contents are sold to a couple of backwoods rednecks at public auction. When an alien invasion threatens planet Earth the agents will have to recover an item from the locker if they hope to stop the extraterrestrial threat.

Unit 44 is a silly, fun, and enjoyable escapade of Roswell and rednecks.  For something a little off the beaten track, try Unit 44.  Alterna Comics releases Unit 44, Volume 1, through ComiXology on Wednesday, September 9th, and is worth checking out.

Anyone vaguely familiar with the government is usually skeptical that any bureaucracy could actually effectively manage a conspiracy of any size.  The credibility of any conspiracy is stretched further when a large number of witnesses are required, and even further when it is a literal world-changer like contact with an alien race.   Wes Locher taps into that silliness, adding rednecks and annoying aliens.  The casual dialogue during action scenes has the same tone that fans of the Venture Brothers have grown to love.

Wes Locher told ComicsOnline “There’s a lot of really serious, gritty comics out there so I wanted to focus on a story that would provide readers with some light-hearted and irreverent entertainment.”   He also listed his inspirations as many silly comics, like Knuckleheads, God Hates Astronauts, Scud: The Disposable Assassin, and The Tick.

The Tick might explain why I imagined Patrick Warburton’s voice in my head when I read Agent Hatch.

Eduardo Jimenez does a wonderful job on illustrations and colors, crafting some panel mastery that allows a fast-paced, easy read for Unit 44.   His style reminds me of Saturday morning cartoons, and sets a tone that would allow Unit 44 to easily fit in on either Nickelodeon or a Hulu exclusive animated line-up. Some of the incidental characters are very photo-realistic compared to the main characters, which feels like a missed reference, but does not detract from the humor within.

If you liked Men in Black, Venture Brothers, Invader Zim, The Awesomes, and government conspiracies gone astray, give Unit 44 a shot.  Then join me in trying to convince Wes Locher and Eduardo Jimenez to take on the Lizard Man of Scape Ore Swamp of South Carolina next. (Seriously, guys, we have rednecks on stand-by!)

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Unit 44 4 Sweet Mother Molly’s Maiden Mullets out of 5 Sweet Mother Molly’s Maiden Mullets.

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