Story and art by Jim Starlin
I’m not sure what to make of Breed III. The first two Breed story arcs were published in the mid-‘90’s under Malibu’s Bravura line. When Malibu went under, Starlin had a tough time finding anyone to pick up his story of a half-breed demonslayer, and maybe that was for the best.
I have no way of sugar-coating this, so I’m just going to say it: Breed III #1 is one of the worst comics I’ve ever read. It starts with a random battle interspersed with god-awful narration from our beastly hero, and is followed by an entire issue of Ray Stoner (yep, Ray Stoner) recounting his entire life story. To cap it all off the issue ends before he’s finished his tale, fortelling a second issue of further flashbacks.
From open to close, Breed III fails at every turn. Immature dialogue, ridiculous half-human-furries-gone-wrong as antagonists, a nonexistent plotline, and absurdities abound. The artwork and colors are outstandingly mediocre, looking astonishingly like… well, a mid-‘90’s Malibu book. Even the lettering causes more problems than it solves. On one jumbled two-page spread in particular, Ray recounts his birth and early childhood in such a haphazard layout that it’s almost impossible to figure out what to read next. The candle in the cupcake is a panel where the word “pastor” is misspelled (as “pasture”). Not once, but twice.
I wish I could say that this is a successful parody of the comics from which it was borne, but Breed III fails even when attempting to view it through that filter. If I can find anything positive to say about the book, my only thought is that at least it’s not offensive. Avoid this one at all costs.
