October marks the arrival of retail editions of issue #1 of UNDEAD KUNGFU GHOST KILLER! While copies make their way to select comic shops the fine folks of Fanbase Press have reviewed our Kickstarter Exclusive edition.
It’s no secret that Patrick Lugo is a massive fan of martial arts, after coming out with his original graphic novel, A Tiger’s Tale – a comic created for young martial artists everywhere. So, when I caught wind of his latest endeavor, Undead Kung-fu Ghost Killer, I was completely on board to see what lies in store for fans of his work! And believe me: This first issue alone packs plenty of ghost-killing and undead kung-fu.
There’s something to be said immediately about Lugo’s panel work, with shots looking like they were taken straight out of a movie/TV show and hooking me from the very first panel. Another thing I’m always excited to see is an abundance of fun and active SFX that helps to enhance the fighting on the page. When working in the world of comics, I’m forever appreciative of moments (or entire pages/sequences) of nothing but SFX during a fight to really help me immerse in the intensity of everything I’m witnessing, and there are heaps and bounds of it present even just in the first few pages. It’s what makes comics, comics!
Speaking of the art and the skirmishes, I was engaged from front matter to back with Lugo’s illustrative technique. It’s clear he’s able to straddle the line effectively between both author and artist—a combo that can prove to be difficult to balance, but where Lugo excels. There’s a level of dynamism present in his evident love of kung-fu-inspired storytelling that perfectly encapsulates the era and its overarching themes. Be forewarned, though, because despite Lugo’s children’s book background, there is a shocking amount of gore throughout the comic—and a facet that is further accentuated by Lugo’s coloring. You get a wonderful, sprawling variety of color painting every corner of the comic from head to toe.
Undead Kung-fu Ghost Killer #1 is a vivid and honorable work of inspiration with enough slice-and-dice action to sate even the hungriest of folklore feasters.
Ricardo Andrés Acevedo
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.