Toe Tag Riot #4 Review

Will this punk rock band continue to raise hell? Or will their curse be broken? Read on to find out.

The official description from Black Mask Studios:

Toe Tag Riot is the new book from Matt Miner (Critical Hit / Vertigo’s CMYK) and Sean Von Gorman (Secret Adventures Of Houdini / Pawn Shop). The idea started as an homage to the strange intersection of comics, punk rock, horror, and social commentary- from Bagge’s COMICAL FUNNIES to early Last Gasp books, from the work of Pettibon,Pushead, and Los Bros. Hernandez to the myriad artists who’s strips were featured in Punk!, Maximum Rock N Roll, and HeartattaCk. TOE TAG RIOT is a love letter to the countless self published zines and mini-comics lost to the long boxes of history, firmly rooted in a genre we rarely see in comic shops anymore.

Music in comics isn’t something that’s new. It is however something that can result in mixed opinions, as where some staying true to the source, others decided to deviate from the norm, veering towards the weird and the strange. This latter option usually proves more intriguing, and is what ultimately makes Toe Tag Riot an entertaining series. Telling the story of a punk band that’s been cursed to turn into zombies when they play, this definitely isn’t going to be to everyone’s taste. It is however something, that if taken with a pinch of salt, will put a smile readers faces.

Matt Miner has been doing wonders over at Black Mask Studios, with Liberators and Critical Hit both being… well hits. Toe Tag Riot is another to add to this list, as though the plot is nowhere near as entertaining as that of the aforementioned series, it’s still a lot of fun. What particularly intrigues me about Miner’s script, is the way that he never takes anything serious. At the same time, he still gives a linear story, and though this plot is buried under the wacky zombie action, and witty dialogue, it gives a sense of purpose. More so than ever in this culminate issue.

I have to admit, I wasn’t initially thrilled by Sean Von Gorman‘s artwork, finding it a little too stiff at times. That being said, as the story progressed, it became more lively, with the wacky events of the story being portrayed fabulously through these visuals. Between the eccentric facial expressions, and gore fest action, this is definitely something that will entertain those that love over the top action. All these comments on the other hand wouldn’t be as prominent if it wasn’t for Savanna Ganucheau‘s colours, with the soft texture and highlights allowing things to really stand out.

Toe Tag Riot #4 is definitely going to impress readers that have been enjoying the series. Being as exciting as ever, with some extravagant action, this is certainly not for those that love serious stories. It is however something that I’d strongly recommend for anyone who are open to strange and weird concepts.