Second Installment of PLFR

Pretty Ladies Fighting Robots #2 is the continuation of Chris Schneider’s web-comic wonder. I still long for a print version or a dedicated web-site for this new talent, but maybe Schneider will consider one day plunging into the world of print when more installments of this story are in the can and can be collected. The art is strong enough and the story is entertaining enough for it to be commercially viable in my mind. If I had to create a capsule pitch for this property, I’d say that it takes the self-aware humor of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and pairs it with Danger Girl style action. It’s fun cute girls with guns! The style of humor is present in the team introductions, the anticipation of one-liners from fellow team members, and the way that scene direction is embedded in the background sound effects. The way that the well intentioned, but misguided, efforts of the pretty ladies fly around the page makes me think of Tabitha (aka: Boom Boom) in Warren Ellis’ Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. send-up. The silent beat panels allow the humor to function breathlessly. Visually, the colors are brilliant and make the pages pop. There are also some forced perspective shots that make the silent transition panels really hum with life. Unlike the first installment, which was largely set-up, we get pretty ladies actually fighting robots this time, and it’s a treat. Schneider runs through the panels with swift plotting and renders action (I liked the smoking rubble bits myself) as well as he does the quips or the talking heads sequences. Chet is an interesting character because he’s the relatively weakest person on screen and continually suggests an anti-violence approach, while the girls are hell bent on revenge. This really inverts the stereotypical gender roles and that’s energy which I enjoy. This might not be quite as LOL funny as the first installment, but it’s still a lot of fun, with engaging art, and I’m anxiously awaiting Chet’s revenge on Robo-Friend, and hope, hope, maybe a print version some day. More information can be found at: http://scoogle.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3g2kes
Grade A-.