MAN GOAT & THE BUNNYMAN: BEWARE THE PIGMAN #1, by Zenescope on 7/24/24, sends Phil and Floyd on a mission to make peace with Pigman before he becomes a pawn in Baphomet’s plans.
Credits:
- Writer: Joe Brusha
- Artist: Jordi Perez
- Colorist: Walter Pereyra
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Guillermo Fajardo
- Publisher: Zenescope Entertainment
- Release Date: July 24, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $5.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of MAN GOAT & THE BUNNYMAN: BEWARE THE PIGMAN #1:
First Impressions:
Joe Brush returns to the world’s weirdest cryptid crusaders for an adventure filled with demons, cryptid legends that are more fact than fiction, competing monster hunters, and a race to stop Armageddon. Man Goat & The Bunnyman may be Zenescope’s weirdest series, but it certainly isn’t boring.
Plot Analysis:
In MAN GOAT & THE BUNNYMAN: BEWARE THE PIGMAN #1, we begin with a group of teenagers entering an abandoned mansion in Vermont. The teens are looking for artifacts and evidence of the legendary Pigman, who was raised somewhere on the mansion grounds. Suddenly, the Pigman leaps from the shadows of an adjoining room to send the teens running into the night.
Through the chatter between the teens and Pigman’s internal narration, Brusha sets up a cryptid slightly more sympathetic than anyone suspects. His intent to scare rather than harm suggests he just wants to be left alone, which is understandable given his appearance.
Elsewhere, we catch up with Man Goat (Phil) and the Bunnyman (Floyd) as they scale Mt. St. Helens on the trail of a bat-like creature that’s been sighted flying away with goats and livestock. When our heroes enter a cave lair, they find guano, bones, and a hissing, human-sized Batsquatch. After a brief tussle, Floyd concludes the Batsquatch is only reacting to the presence of strangers near her nest of babies.
Suddenly, a team of monster killers arrives, led by the mean by the bodacious Shisho. The monster hunters have no qualms about knocking Phil and Floyd out of the way to toss a grenade and unleash a flamethrower on the Batsquatch and her babies. Our heroes beat a hasty retreat.
Here, Brusha introduces a new team of monster/cryptid hunters whose tactics are callous and possibly dangerous. Shisho and her team serve as an interesting counterpoint of competition to Phil and Floyd, focusing on death and destruction rather than preservation. However, the introduction spends so much time on action that you don’t really get a handle on all the team members or their personalities.
Later, Phil and Floyd recover at their cabin. Floyd surprises Phil with one of the Batsquatch babies he managed to rescue from the hunters, and Phil receives an alert that the Pigman sightings have increased. Pigman is Phil’s spiritual brother, so he feels obligated to stop Pigman from becoming a pawn in Baphomet’s relentless plans to destroy the Earth.
Brusha amusingly uses the scene to set up a handicap for our heroes (Baby Batsquatch) and give readers a loose exposition about Phil’s connection to the Pigman. Admittedly, the setup to get Baby Batsquatch (“Batty”) takes up a large part of this comic, perhaps too large, but Brusha sets the stage well.
Phil and Floyd head to the Vermont mansion with Batty in tow. They find pentagrams, cult ritual books, and an assortment of demonic paraphernalia. Suddenly, Pigman attacks with a small army of Baphomet’s demons to capture Phil for his blood and kill Floyd.
Overall, Joe Brusha delivers a solid issue that reminds readers who’s who and what’s what, while charting a course for Phil and Floyd’s latest adventure. The setup to get Batty in Floyd’s hands takes a little too long, and the introduction to the rival team of monster hunters feels rushed, but Brusha lays a relatively solid foundation.
Artwork and Presentation:
Jordi Perez’s art in this issue is generally good to great. The character designs are spot-on, and Perez makes great use of shadows and silhouettes to play up the horror elements of each scene. That said, the linework lacks crispness and precision on the finer details, giving a sketchy appearance to the characters.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
Final Thoughts:
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MAN GOAT & THE BUNNYMAN: BEWARE THE PIGMAN #1 sets Phil and Floyd on a mission to rescue Pigman from his service to Baphomet. Joe Brusha lays a solid foundation for the world’s weirdest cryptid heroes, and Jordi Perez’s art is generally solid. That said, Brusha’s plot pacing is a bit uneven, and Perez’s art is lacking in the finer details.
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