Posted in: Comics | Tagged: avatar, Comics, dogs, garth ennis, pride of baghdad, red rover charlie

Rover Red Charlie – Less Pride Of Baghdad, More The Far Side

Pride Of Baghdad, as the multiple layered title suggested, was about pride. Creatures, keeping their own respect, strength and fortitude as the world fell apart around them. The characters were fierce, independent and solid.

In Garth Ennis' Rover Red Charlie, not so much. Rather than fierce beasts of the Savannah, given what purports to be freedom after so long, in Rover Red Charlie, we get an end of the world that's closer to The Far Side. The repeated barking of "I'm a dog! I'm a dog!" reminded me very much of;

There's an artistic discrepancy between the two though, Michael Dipascale's art is painted and rich with colour, with photorealism, especially for the animals and it wears its references on its collar. As a result, it feels more grounded, emphasising the unexpectedness of the dogs' speeches. But while Pride Of Baghdad created mighty, respectful voiced for its lions, Rover Red Charlie seems truer to a dog owner's experience of their own pets. And a reason why these Far Side cartoons have proved so popular with them. It's also worth knowing that the comic's publisher, William Christensen, is a keen dog lover.

The cast here are animals used to the domesticity of humanity, who suddenly have that humanity taken away from them. What they could once rely on, has been lost and they are left to fend for themselves. Except their old behaviour is hard to shake off. And its expressed in the most human if terms.

And what has happened to the humans, or the feeders as they are called by the dog community? Well… we're not sure. Something akin to Garth Ennis' Crossed, something that makes people violent, suicidal, depressed, that will wipe them out. The circumstances are not important, they certainly can't be understood by the dogs, they just have to find a way to work without them now.

What we hear from the humans is gibberish. The dog's perspective on the human voice, again, taking me right back to The Far Side again.

But now, whatever humans have to say, it makes no difference, the destiny of the dogs are in their own paws now. They are children, but they are resourceful and together they are greater than the sum of their parts.

We're only one issue in. They may not be able to save the world. The fight is on to see if they can save themselves.

Rover Red Charlie #1 is published today by Avatar Press, the owners of Bleeding Cool.

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