Comic Review: Oh S#!t It’s Kim & Kim #1

Oh S#!t It’s Kim & Kim #1

Black Mask Studios

Writer: Magdalene Visaggio

Artist: Eva Cabrera

I’ve been reading Magdalene Visaggio’s Kim & Kim pretty much since it first came out, which is good because I think I’d be a little confused by the way the titles are working if I tried to get into it now.  That feels like a stupid gripe to be making, but it’s a pet peeve of mine, so I just wanted to get it out of the way before I say this next part: the newest arc of the series – titled Oh S#!t It’s Kim & Kim – is great.

Backing up a little, here’s a quick rundown of Kim & Kim: it’s a series about two best friends named Kim who work as bounty hunters in space. If you’re just hearing about this series now you absolutely do not need to read the first two arcs before diving into Oh S#!t It’s Kim & Kim, as each arc recaps everything you need to know backstory-wise as it goes in a way that doesn’t feel grating.

This new arc sets the Kims up with a legendary master thief that they themselves are trying to steal from by distracting her with a heist of their own devising. If the plot goes where I think it will, it looks like it’s going to get emotional at the end, but as this is the first issue of the arc it’s largely carried by humor and action. The humor is on brand and entertaining, including the triumphant return of a running gag I personally have always enjoyed. The action is over the top and somewhat silly, which is also in keeping with the series’ standards and enjoyable for how unapologetic it is.

Additionally, Kim & Kim has some of my favorite LGBT representation in comics. Both main characters are LGBT – Kim Q is a trans woman and Kim D is… some kind of not-straight, the latter of which gets played up in this issue as the aforementioned master thief flirts with and flusters her quite effectively. The effect in this instance is comedic but the comic has previously shown itself quite capable of using the LGBT identities of its main characters for drama as well, and all without being tasteless in those depictions.

Kim & Kim isn’t my favorite series, but I still enjoy it immensely. Both times now that it has had a new arc announced I’ve gotten very excited, and both times it has lived up to my own internal sense of hype. Oh S#!t looks like it’s going to be just as much raucous fun as the rest of the series.