Review: 21st Century Tank Girl #2

Previously: 21st Century Tank Girl #1

This issue is where I figured out what this series reminds me of; Ren and Stimpy. The comic continues to combine sophomoric and salacious humor with cartoony artistry, which would be child appropriate if it weren’t for the first part. Artists Brett Parsons, Jamie Hewlett, Philip Bond, and Jonathan Edwards return for this issue, along with newcomer Jim Mahfood.

This issue’s vignettes feature Tank Girl’s sidekicks, Jet Girl and Booga, in more prominent roles. Parson’s story, Nanago ’71, is a road caper with Booga driving the getaway car after Tank Girl and Jet Girl rip off a high stakes poker game. During the car chase, Jet Girl is knocked out and experiences a psychedelic dreamscape, which gives her the strength to turn the tide for her friends.

Journey to the Centre of the Tank is a walk through Tank Girl’s psyche. When the tank is under attack and Jet Girl’s life is in danger, Tank Girl journeys deeper into the tank searching for missiles and instead finds old 1970s British television stars and significant items from her past.

Mahfood’s You’re Young Now is a one-page rumination on getting older, which is an interesting juxtaposition with Bond’s Tank Girl Tactics which is a two-page story set up like a Girl Scout handbook. Overall, the theme of this issue seems to be about Tank Girl’s inner child and growing older. It’s also interesting that in two of the stories the plot moves forward because Jet Girl is injured during their adventures. The friendship between Jet Girl and Tank Girl seems to be the driving force behind her development as a character. Even though each story is self-contained. it will be interesting to see if this idea continues in future issues.