"THE TOXIC AVENGER #1" Is A Welcome Re-Introduction From Ahoy Comics (REVIEW)

The 1984 film “The Toxic Avenger” was a nuclear explosion in the world of cult horror films. The toxic fallout of its effect on the industry garnered it 3 sequels, 2 video games, an animated show, and even a live-stage musical. There’s obviously a reason ol’ Toxie (a nickname given to the franchise’s titular freak) has become Troma Entertainment’s golden child: Because the people love him! 

AHOY Comics brings us the latest addition to the world of The Toxic Avenger in “The Toxic Avenger #1”, written by Matt Bors with art by Fred Harper. This is Matt Bors second comic book series, coming shortly after his latest series “Justice Warriors”, also published by AHOY Comics.

The Toxic Avenger #1 starts off by throwing you right into the thick of it. “QUARANTINE DAY 4” titles a beautifully horrific splash page of Toxie’s face screaming “I can’t take this anymore!”. Harper’s art here at the beginning immediately grips you, with Toxie’s mutant face showing what horrors await in the rest of the book.

As day 4 of this mysterious quarantine continues we are given bits and pieces of information about what is going on. Melvin, the boy who was turned into this hulking green mutant, is being pulled back inside his house by his mother and friend Yvonne. Melvin’s mother is wearing a mask and warning him that it is not safe outside with Yvonne explaining that the whole town is on lockdown anyway. Sound familiar? Anyone who has been alive for the past 4 years has probably heard these same words. Determined, Melvin tells them that it will be alright and that the kids are the ones being most affected.

Immediately I am curious what this “lock-down” means for the comic. To me it feels like an expression of the frustration people had during the 2020 COVID lockdowns, using the townspeople of Tromaville as that voice. In the next couple of pages, the townspeople are at a Q&A with the Mayor outside the church of Troma. Many of them have questions pertaining to their safety with some asking about their children who have been brought into isolation at the local hospital. The Mayor answers questions incredibly vague and bureaucratically, which is another way to say unhelpfully. Intentional verbiage and colorful spins on situations are used to curb any criticism, all the while the townspeople are still in a helpless, desperate state. I think this scene is a valid comparison to the fear a lot of us had during COVID and the frustration we had at times with local governments trying to help while they often knew just as little as we did.

As the comic goes on it lays out its story in an interesting, non-linear way. The first four days of quarantine are laid out backward, showing the end result of the first four days of quarantine at the beginning and ending on how the quarantine started. I thought this was a smart way to keep readers interested, while continuously building on this mystery of the quarantine and how it started.

The Toxic Avenger #1 is a clever reinvention of the characters and story that all Toxic Avenger fans will know, while also being a great jumping on point for anyone unfamiliar with the series. I myself have always known about The Toxic Avenger but had never gone out of my way to watch any of the films, making this first comic my formal introduction to this world. This comic interested me in a way that made me more interested in its origins, so, I went back and watched the original 1984 film to compare. The comic revitalizes the spirit of Toxie and his origins by placing him in a world a bit less cynical than the original film, making Melvin more of a fleshed-out character and less of a means to showcase some cheap, gory special effects. In this comic, he’s not brutally killing his bullies or fighting off psychopathic gunmen in a fast-food restaurant like in the film. Instead, Melvin is HELPING his bullies who have been affected by this government lockdown. He’s fighting the government agents isolating these teens and keeping them from their families. That’s what a real mean, green Avenger does.

Matt Bors’ writing is witty and fun, perfectly contrasting the creative body horror on display in Harper’s art. Bors helps move this franchise into the modern day by poking fun at certain things like social media and live-streaming, while also paying homage to classic Toxie tropes such as mauling someone with a mop and having Melvin wear his iconic pink tutu. It’s funny, it’s grimy, and it’s perfect for fans of genre films and comics alike.

The Toxic Avenger #1 is out now at your local comic shop, and be sure to add it to your weekly pull list!

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