By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)
Release Date:
September 9, 2020
Dark Horse Comics
SPOILER ALERT
The release of the comic book Bill & Ted Are Doomed is far too perfect of a title for those who know the premise behind the movie Face the Music. It’s a proper sequel to Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. The new misadventures they have nicely fills in the gap to the years leading up to the third film. The tale looks at the decline of the Wyld Stallyns.
Life is not as easy with an enormous weight on their shoulders. They married their respective princesses, and Billie and Thea are born. I would have liked a story which develops how these kids were raised. The toddlers want to have fun and to see how they were raised doesn’t always make for entertaining reading. As much as I would’ve like to see it, the focus is really on Bill and Ted in this work.
Writer Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden) is part of the team behind penning this filler series. I enjoy his supernatural works more than Milk & Cheese, but this work is where he earned his wings. His style of humour is perfect for the B&T franchise. Artist Roger Langridge (Judge Dredd Megazine) is the perfect choice to realize the type of world that the motley duo belongs in.
As always, the first issue is about making introductions and reintroductions. Unlike the film, we meet Rufus, and I can only imagine we will see more of him in later issues, helping Bill and Ted face their problems. He is tasked to identify a strange hiccups that’s materialized in the time stream. If this instability is the beginning of the end, as revealed from the movie, no hints were made in this issue. There’s no mention if this run is limited and I can’t see this title last as a lengthy ongoing series. Yes, there’s a gap to fill and this comic book is needed, but when I’ve seen the film, it eventually has to lead in to that time-frame.
I would wait for the eventual trade paperback collecting the issues so newcomers to this stoner world can see the tale in full. The second issue is where the story takes hold. When Bill and Ted find themselves at a deadly battle of the bands, they better be at the tome of the game! Also, the world will be watching. If they don’t at a Scandinavian Death Metal festival, the Wyld Stallyns (robots included) may well be no more way sooner than readers realize.
